The battle for friendship
by materp.c
Summary: three friends, Vlad a vampire , Robin a wannabe vampire and Bryn an ordinary girl who just doesn't seem to fit in anywhere else fight to keep their friendship in tack, as things start to get a little difficult. PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Revenge!

Young Dracula 

Prologue

Bryn, Robin and Vlad; an ordinary girl, a wannabe vampire and an actual vampire, connected by a weird sort of friendship.

Vlad lived in a castle (no big surprise there then!) with his father, the Countand older sister Ingrid. Robin lived with both his parents, younger sister and older twin brothers. Bryn only lived with her parents, her two older siblings had moved out and made a living somewhere in London.

Chapter one

"Vladimir!" the count's voice echoed clearly throughout the castle. The three friends where in the library attempting to complete their English homework, but the collection of books were way too old to help them with anything.

"I best be going, goodness knows what dad wants!" Vlad told his friends as he got up to leave.

"We'll probably still be here when you come back, I mean it's not like this homework's gonna be even half done tonight!" Robin stated, his black hair flopping back in place.

Vlad smiled at Robin, shutting the door behind as he left, running down the corridor only to be halted in his tracks by his apparating father. It startled him momentarily, but he was so used to his father using his vampire given powers to move around the castle, that the act didn't faze him entirely.

"What do you want?" he tried to sound enthusiastic, but really he just wanted him to get on with it so he could go back to his friends.

"I have taken the liberty of place a coffin in your bedroom, got rid of that horrible wooden contraption." The Countinformed his son, as he pulled his cape firmly around him ready to apparate.

"You've what? Dad! You know I don't want a coffin!" but it was too late to ague, the deed had already taken place and the count had already apparated.

A sulky Vlad re-entered the library, where as promised his two best friends were still tackling the English homework. He resumed his place on the red faded cushion next to Bryn, picked up his pen and the half written piece of paper but couldn't write anything. Bryn and Robin looked at each other, they knew that their friend was annoyed about something, they always knew when Vlad was feeling upset or annoyed, (he wasn't exactly brilliant at hiding it from them, but then again no-one else seemed to notice, not even his own family.)

"So? Are you going to tell us what's wrong?" Vlad looked Robin in the eye and shook his head.

"Come on, spill" Bryn said in the forceful way that Vlad often caught himself doing. He couldn't deny that, so he told them what his father had done.

"Cool!" Robin said, immediately after Vlad finished. Bryn was giving him one of those looks while shaking her head slowly. Robin quickly changed his attitude to that of a concerned friend, rather than of an appending fan; he was in fact both at times.

"You know we could arrange a sleepover, then it won't seem so bad." Bryn suggested.

All agreeing that this was a good idea, Bryn and Robin dashed home and collected their night things, quickly asked permission (although they would've sneaked out anyway, without permission) and raced back to the castle.

The English homework lay abandoned in the library.

"Stop being nosy and help put out the sleeping bags" Robin was fascinated by Vlad's coffin/bed and was inspecting it from every angle he could find. It was quite clear he would rather have a coffin for a bed, any day. Still examining the bizarre sleeping accommodation, Robin had completely disregarded Bryn's comment.

"Robin!"

"Alright I'm coming"

"You know, if you want, you could sleep in the coffin, I'd much rather seep in the sleeping bag" Robin's eyes grew at least an inch wider at Vlad's offer, consequently accepting extremely quickly. So it was settled; Robin would sleep in the coffin and Vlad and Bryn would occupy the two sleeping bags.

The moonlight seeped through the open window, the shadow of a bat could be seen covering the full moon, the bat was the familiar of Vlad's father, the count, of for a midnight hunt. As each of them silently drifted off to sleep, the coffin lid creaked slowly down on Robin. The only hope was that the decorative dots where in fact breathing holes. For it was a well-known fact that vampires don't breathe, if the coffin was indeed design for a vampire or an unfortunate deceased, then there would be no need for breathing holes.

The sun shine through the cloudless sky into the castle windows, only Vlad's was open, one beam of sunlight hit the black coffin wherein laid Vlad's best friend Robin.

The Count entered his son's room, cringing at the brightness of the room, keeping to the shadows he managed to close both the window and the shutter at the same time. Relaxing, now there was no sunlight to contend with, the Count calmly sauntered up to the coffin, unlatched the lid and lifted it with ease. On looking in to the coffin, the Count let out an ear-piercingly high shriek. This loud shriek woke the three sleeping children; one found himself gazing into the count's deep brown eyes.

"What is he doing in your coffin?" the Count demanded of his son when he had realized where he was.

Vlad had arisen from his sleeping bag and was now standing facing his father, the Count was merely a head taller than Vlad -with a few more years of growing he would eventually be taller than his father.

"I did not want the coffin in the first place and I wasn't going to spend the night in that uncomfortable thing, I'd rather have a sleeping bag as my permanent bed if I have to." Vlad announced angrily and matter of fact-ly.

Bryn sat up, listening to the father and son argument, she felt quite proud of her friend for sticking up to his father. She knew it had always been a hard task. But she knew that it was her turn to do some sticking up.

"Nobody should go in your coffin, it was design for you." The Count continued.

"But somebody had to sleep in it, we've only got two sleeping bags and Robin didn't mind as much as we did." Bryn said, defending both herself and her two best friends whom she knew would never have had an answer good enough to make the Count falter.

The Count seemed to be searching for words to say to the child, he felt defeated, a child had given him a worthy reply that he could not respond to, he had been defeated by a girl! Swishing his cape dramatically, the Count took his leave.

"Gee, I do believe our Bryn just left the Count speechless!" Robin was sat straight up in the coffin. If anyone looked like a vampire at that moment it was him, his black hair lined his face, appearing more like the Count then Vlad had ever seemed. His pyjamas where red and black, the black matching his hair, the dark leather jacket that he had used as a blanket, suited a vampire more than a breather, but Vlad hated the colour black and he hated leather.

Vlad, looked at his friends, they all smiled at each other, feeling as though they had accomplished the impossible. They were an odd trio, Bryn always looked as though she was 10 years old but in reality she was two years older than that, Robin always looked like some sort of Goth and Vlad, well he looked normal but because of his family and home he was classed as a weirdo at school.

"I guess we got to get to school." Bryn said regrettably.

"Better than this place!" Vlad exclaimed rolling his sleeping bag up and placing it inside Robin's overnight bag; Bryn did likewise, placing it in her overnight bag.

Bounding down the stone staircase, Vlad and Robin grabbed their seats at the grand table. (They had left Bryn to change in the bathroom)

Vlad's sister, Ingrid was already at the table drinking a glass of what Vlad hoped to be blackcurrant juice. She was staring at Robin, who was blushing –they all knew Robin had had a big crush on Ingrid since the start of year 7.

"Your weirdo of a friend, slept over last night did he?" Ingrid directed this to her brother even though she was still staring at Robin and it wasn't a kind stare either, poor Robin felt as though all spotlights were on him as he was being interrogated like a criminal.

"Yes, he and Bryn stayed the night." It was a simple answer but it made her shut up for a while, until Bryn descended the stairs.

"Oh look another weirdo to add to these two." Bryn ignored the comment and pulled up a chair beside Vlad. The drinks were already on the table, cautiously Bryn took a sip, it tasted foul. Vlad and Robin, on seeing Bryn's cringing face, decided not to drink it at all!

Renfield entered the room balancing the plates on his arm, only just managing to place them on the table intact. The friends peered over the top of the plate, repulsed at what they saw; it was a horrible brown colour and something was moving in it. Exchanging glances the three of them silent agreed to pay a visit to the shop on the way to school. Taking a few mouthfuls, they praised Renfield but said that they were already late.

Quickly escaping from the castle, looking like they were in a hurry, soon as they were out of sight they continued strolling down the rest of the path, until they reached the shop.

Buying three croissants, they munched on them while walking through the school gate, attempting to finish it before the bell went for lessons. Robin still had a tiny bit left as he walked into the English classroom.

"Homework out please!" the teacher bellowed across the classroom. The rustling of paper could be heard as each student searched for their homework in the depths of their bags. Neither Vlad, Robin, nor Bryn even tried to find their homework, they knew where it was; in the library at Vlad's castle.

The teacher was drifting round the classroom, collecting her students work up. When she reached the table where the three missing homework's were, she paused waiting for either a piece of paper to reach her outstretched hand or for a valid excuse to be given.

"Sorry Miss Halswood," Vlad said, trying to appeal to her soft nature before she had a go at them.

"And where is your homework, you three?"

"We kind of left it at Vlad's." Bryn replied.

"But we did do it honest miss, we were in the library all evening trying to finish it." Robin declared.

Miss Halswood let them off, on the condition that they would hand it in first thing the next morning.

The bell rang for break and no one lingered for less than two minutes in the dreaded English classroom. Filing out the small doorway and onto the playground, Robin and Bryn found themselves being pushed and shoved till the arms where bright red. The pushes were from the school's bullies, who seemed to have it in for Robin and Bryn, not Vlad though; no one ever bullied Vlad, not after they had seen his father at the parent's evening last summer. The shoves where coming from Ingrid's friends, trained –it seemed- to pester Vlad and his friends until they reacted (which would mean it was going to keep going throughout Vlad's childhood)

Hastily nabbing a bench, they took up their seats before anyone one else stole them.

"Phew, that was close, with the homework, I totally forgot about it!" Vlad asserted, relieving his shoulder of the heavy schoolbag. Bryn was rubbing her red arm, complaining that it was stinging, Robin was agreeing intently. On examining their arms, Vlad told them that some action should be taken on those bullies.

"What I never quite understand is why they never try bulling me, it's always you two."

"That's 'cause they've seen your dad, mate!" Vlad rolled his eyes and then frowned.

"I think I have an idea!" he was grinning, an evil grin.

"Alright, have you slipped the invites in their bags?" Vlad asked Robin, he nodded.

"The capes are ready, on your bed." Bryn said (the Count had given Vlad his original bed back; saving the coffin for when he was older and more prepared). Vlad nodded, their plan was coming together very nicely. They would just have to wait till after school, for the plan to completely work its magic.

It was getting darker, as Bryn, Vlad and Robin took up their places on the high ledge near the grand entrance. A loud knock could be heard and Vlad shouted 'enter'. The doors flew open, revealing the gang of bullies that waited outside the door.

"Come forward." This was Robin's voice. The gang shuffled forward.

"We've come for the party." One of them dared to say, fear trembling through his voice.

"You are just in time. Continue down the hall" Bryn informed them, when in fact all they would find themselves in, was a large black cage.

They waited for the screams to come, before they abandoned their posts.

"Screaming in delight, I hope!" Robin pronounced an evil tone coming through, which worryingly sounded right on him.

"Maybe we should leave them in there, they seem to like it!" Bryn suggested. A chorus of no's came from the enclose cage.

"I think they need to give their word about something first!" Vlad encouraged.

"Anything!" the screams said.

So Vlad started his proposal; they would be let out only if they were to promise that they would never bully them again. Robin tried pushing it to making them carry their stuff around school, but Bryn said that was going too far.

Vlad undid the lock and the gang ran down the corridor, out the door and down the path, not stopping for even a second.

"Well that got rid of them." Bryn said untying the cape and handing it back to Vlad. Never again, she had decided mentally, would she wear that cape, it was itchy, hot and generally uncomfortable.

School the next day was extremely amusing. The gang of bullies kept avoiding them like the plague; it felt good to be the ones on the opposite side of the bullying for once. At break time, a few victims of the bully gang came up to the three friends asking how they had manage to completely change their attitude toward them, when they retold their story, they laughed, going away and telling their friends, eventually the story of how the bullies fell from their original supremacy, to cowering at the sight of just three of their peers. The plan had succeeded considerably more then was intended. Vlad felt particularly pleased with himself for coming up with such a brilliant plan.


	2. Supposedly Missing

Chapter 2

"Mum!" Robin bellowed from the top of the stairs.

"What is it, Robin?" his mother asked before even reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"Can Vlad and Bryn come over for dinner tomorrow?" Robin gave his mother an innocent, pleading look that he knew she could never refuse.

"Sure, I can't see why not." Robin thrust his elbow at the side of him, with his fist clench, as he whispered a contented 'yes'.

His mother frowned for a moment, as she observed how odd her son looked against the pastel blue wallpaper. Both of Robin's parents had been discussing the issue of their son possibly turning Goth. It had troubled them greatly, yet they could see no real reason why Robin couldn't be who he wanted to be.

Robin felt two different hands clasp his shoulders; he froze waiting for his brothers to get on with whatever they planned to do.

"Your little girlfriend and cape boy coming to dinner tomorrow" Robin frowned.

"Cape boy, since when have you seen Vlad wearing a cape?"

"Oh no, sorry bro, that's you!"

"You're cape boy!" they laughed. Robin was shaking his head, utterly amused, but thinking it all a little sad, even for them.

Giving them a hard shove in either direction, Robin continued down the stairs, stopping midway and looked back.

"And Bryn is not my girlfriend!" both twins were too busy rubbing their throbbing heads, due to falling into the wall that was conveniently placed in their way.

Meanwhile at Bryn's house, it was dinnertime and Bryn, her mum and her dad were all sat at the table tucking into a delicious meal of sausages and mash. Taking this tranquil moment to query the unanswered question of going to Robin's house for dinner the following day, Bryn found that she had started a mealtime debate.

"Me and your father have been wondering, whether it is a good idea for you to be hanging out at the castle so much. I mean it's not that we don't mind you hanging out with your friends, it's just the count doesn't seem to be all that um…" Bryn was beginning to see where this was going.

"The count's fine with having us over."

"Yes, but I don't think he's entirely the best person to be watching out for you. If you see what I mean" Bryn knew exactly what her father was trying to get at; he thought, as did her mother, that the count was going mad or was slightly delusional in the head. How little did ordinary people know, of the count's true nature, did anyone apart from herself and Robin actually know that he was a vampire? Bryn contemplated this for a while as she munched on a piece of sausage.

"He doesn't actually look after us he gets his servant to do it." Bryn said trying to keep her side of the argument going as her parents ganged up on her.

"He has a servant!" her father seemed surprised at this new information. Bryn told them that the servant's name was Renfield, and that he took care of most of the household chores and was in general meant to oversee the activities of the offspring of the count.

Her parents seemed a little more relaxed at the idea that it wasn't the count that was officially watching over the three children, but a servant. She didn't tell her parents that they hardly actually see Renfield during any of their visits, that would completely change their minds back to their original idea and she'd only just got them to at least sort of agree. Bryn knew that keeping her parents in the dark about what happens at the castle was the only way they would let her continue visiting.

"Renfield, don't worry about my dinner tomorrow, I'm going to Robin's for tea." Vlad had gone into the kitchen where Renfield was preparing the family's evening meal. He never needed to tell his father when he paid a visit to either of his friends' houses; it was just Renfield that he felt obliged to tell considering he would be the one making an extra dinner for nothing.

"Well do enjoy yourself tomorrow, master Vlad," Renfield told him while still stirring the stew.

"My dear Vladimir, why don't you tell your father, when you go gallivanting off with your breather friends?" Vlad rolled his eyes, as he felt his father's hand clasp his shoulder, not too hard but almost hard enough to cut off his blood circulation.

"Well you never seem to care" the count cringed at this remark, knowing that it was partly true.

"Maybe I will show a greater interest in my children from now on." The count snapped as he turned to leave, Ingrid standing in his way. He tried to get past her but as she moved to let him past, he moved in the same direction, this happened twice, before the count got fed up and used his skill of apparition. Ingrid unfolded her arms as she walked down the steps.

"Why has dad taken a sudden interest in you?" Vlad gave his sister a sarcastic smile; he didn't particularly want his father's attention, but Ingrid sought after her father's attention all the time because he had a habit of ignoring her.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mistress Ingrid?" Renfield asked knowing full well that Ingrid never came in the kitchen unless she had something that she needs doing.

"Oh yeah, your breather friend is here." Vlad's eyes lit up and he rushed out the room, leaving poor Renfield to carry out the impossible task that Ingrid was bound to give him.

In the great hall, admiring the décor was Robin; adorned in his familiar leather jacket it was quite hard not to notice him. He didn't notice when Vlad came up behind him attempting to decipher what Robin was finding so fascinating.

"Bryn stayed at home then?"

"Whoa when did you arrive?"

"Been here for a while" Vlad frowned, had he not heard it when he quite obviously crossed the room to join him? Apparently not. It slightly worried Vlad, that he might in fact be gaining some of his vampire qualities a bit too soon, the average age for this process was 15 going on 16, not 12. Trying to disregard the troubling thought, Vlad re-asked his original question.

"oh, I just came to ask whether you still alright for dinner tomorrow," Vlad raised his eyebrows; that still didn't answer his question and he was struggling to see why Robin felt he needed to come all the way to the castle just to ask him about tomorrow evening.

"You seriously came all this way just to tell me that?"

"Yes… um well not entirely," Vlad stared at his friend, waiting patiently for a reasonable excuse.

"I came here to get away from my family, you know how they are, my brothers kept making fun of me, Chloe joining in, and mum and dad kept on at me 'cause they don't like the way I dress. I just had to get away, you know?" Vlad knew exactly what he meant; he felt the same nearly every day about his family, there was just one worry though.

"Do your parents know where you are?" Robin scratched his head, striving to avoid the query.

"urh… no." seeing how Vlad was reacting to his response, Robin felt obliged to back the statement up.

"But they probably will guess I mean where else would I go, and I bet they haven't even noticed I've gone." Vlad was satisfied with this comment and the two boys soon found an old game of chess to play.

Meanwhile back at Bryn's house, her mum and dad having finished with the interrogation of their daughter, a loud, urgent knock was heard coming from the front door.

"I'll get it!" Bryn said already of her seat and halfway down the corridor, she was only too glad to be able to excuse herself from the torture chamber that was the kitchen table.

Unhitching the lock and opening the door, Bryn was greeted by a very anxious mother.

"Is my Robin here?" Bryn was taken aback with the shear promptness of Robin's mother's enquiry.

"Um, no, what's wrong? Why isn't he home?" Bryn began to fill a knot forming in her stomach; surely he couldn't have run away, there was nothing that she could think off that could have provoked such a thing.

"I don't know, he ate dinner with us and then went to his room, we assumed he was playing on the computer but when I went up to check on him he was gone." Bryn's mind was racing, thinking of places that Robin would go. Inviting Robin's mother in, Bryn fetched her coat, her mind set on finding Robin.

When she came back she found that both of her parents also had their coats on, all intent on helping to find Robin.

They searched everywhere they could think off, the forest, the town centre, everywhere but no sign of him.

It was Bryn's idea to go to the castle, she didn't really think that he would be there but she knew that the Count had an extraordinary good sense of smell and if necessarily could use this power-with a little persuasion from Vlad – to find Robin.

She knocked on the door, fully aware that she wouldn't get an answer, but her parents had insisted that it was the polite thing to do. When no answer came, she pushed open the heavy door and slid through, her parents and Robin's mother following suit.

"Vlad!" Bryn called out into the growing darkness.

"Bryn?" Vlad shouted from the great hall.

"Where are you?" Bryn shouted back, unsure where the voice was coming from.

"In the great hall, wait, I'll get a torch." Vlad scrambled in several drawers, Robin helping, until they finally found what they were looking for. Vlad shinned the torch into the corridor, he spotted the party of wet blown away, searchers. Walking until he was in line with Bryn, he stopped mentally asking her why her parents were with her and why Robin's mother was looking so anxious and upset. He turned beckoning for them to follow him into the great hall, where they could see better.

Bryn's parents were a bit on the confused and worried side, they were concerned for the wellbeing of their daughter's friend and confused at how odd the castle was; no electricity, no heating.

They entered the great hall, Robin's mother ran straight towards her son, hugging him, smothering him, Robin was pushing his mother away, feeling his checks turning red with embarrassment.

"Mum! Stop it!"

"Don't ever do that to me again, you had us all looking everywhere for you,"

Bryn and Vlad stayed out of this mother and son scene. Moving to the corner, Bryn told Vlad what had happened, from the fretful knock, to arriving at the castle. She never mentioned how sick with worry she had felt, she didn't want either of her friends to think that she was a big worrier.

Robin was being dragged out if the room by his mother, she held him tight by the wrist not letting him go, for fear of losing him again. Bryn's mum was implying that they should be leaving too, so after giving Vlad a quick hug goodbye, she left him standing there as she joined her parents for the journey home.

Vlad stood there for a while taking it all in, one minute the room held 6 people in it now it held 1, and Bryn had never hugged him before. Tidying away the chess board, Vlad made his way to his bedroom, falling asleep on top of the bed, rather than inside it with his pyjamas on.


	3. Birthday Surprise!

Chapter 3

Spaghetti bolognaise, Robin's mum made practically the beast bolognaise ever. Well that was Bryn's, Vlad's and Robin's opinion, Robin's older brothers weren't so keen, neither was Chloe.

Robin's mum had been a little too overprotective since the events of the previous night, not letting him out of sight for more than 2 minutes. It had been annoying him all day, he was unable to go virtually anywhere without his mother checking that he was alright every five seconds or so. He was wishing more and more that he'd never had the incentive to leave the house after dark, without informing his mother first.

School had been boring and so the conversation starting with 'how was school' did not last that long, and finding a new subject that would easily relate to the entire table was proving difficult.

Bryn picked up her glass of coke, lifting it to her lips when Chloe spoke, making her miss her mouth entirely and instead soaking her shirt. Robin burst in giggles, Vlad soon joined in, Bryn was trying to keep a straight face and pretend to be angry at them for laughing at her, but she let a smirk come across her face, verifying that she was faking the anger.

"Come into the kitchen dear and I'll try and get the stain out, before it's too late" Bryn obediently followed, into the kitchen.

"Hey, what have you got Bryn for her birthday?" Vlad whispered to Robin.

"I was going to get her that book she wanted; you know that one in Waterstones, in the window," Robin whispered back.

"Her birthday's tomorrow, you know."

"Is it? I thought it was next week! 'Ere what have you got her?"

"That blue stoned necklace I saw her admiring the other day." Robin frowned trying to remember what blue stoned necklace Vlad was talking about, he remember one but he never remembered Bryn looking at it; as much as it annoyed him, Robin had to admit that Vlad had a better sense of what their best friend liked, then he did. Although in all fairness Vlad had sharper eyesight, due to his being a vampire.

"Look, we can go into Waterstones, on the way home from school tomorrow, tell Bryn we've got to rush off." Vlad suggested, Robin approving of the idea immensely.

Vlad was about to say something else, when Robin nudged him in the direction of the doorway, Bryn had come back from the kitchen her shirt still wet but no longer stained. She sat down in her seat, and playfully hit Vlad on the arm.

"That's for laughing at me," she was aware that Robin was smiling away, feeling happy that he was sitting on the other side of Vlad rather than Bryn.

"I get you later, Robin!"

"Happy birthday!" Vlad and Robin chorused as Bryn came into view. She was carrying a new schoolbag and a new flower hairband, was tied in her hair.

"13 today! Now we leave Vlad behind!" Robin said referring to the fact that Vlad was still 12 until September, and they were now both 13.

The bell rang for the start of the school day, maths. Much to Bryn's disappointment, to start off her first day at being 13, she had her worst subject, with her worst teacher. Never mind she felt happy enough to endure the hour of maths, for just this once.

Maths finished and the day flew by, as it always seems to do when the day is an exciting event like your birthday or Christmas. Soon the bell was going to indicate the end of the day.

Vlad and Robin quickly disappeared out the school gate and into the town centre, telling Bryn that they would see her a bit later for her birthday tea party her parents had promised her.

"Right, so get the book, run home wrap it up, get changed and then go to Bryn's." Robin dictated his action plan to Vlad, so he could verify it.

Bryn was sitting in the garden when Robin and Vlad arrived, presents in hand and cards taped on top of the presents. They handed them to Bryn simultaneously, Bryn almost dropping them.

"Open mine first!" Robin told her eagerly. Carefully Bryn ripped of the card opening that first, it was a cute card with a big 13 written across the card, taking up the whole space. Placing this on the mantelpiece, she began opening the present, tearing the paper of when she realized what it was; 'Newes from the dead' by Mary Hooper, she, utterly thrilled with the book, hugged Robin on impulse. He was completely unprepared for this and almost fell over with shock.

Bryn opened Vlad's card next, it was really elegant, with lots of butterflies and flowers. She put this card next to Robin's on the mantelpiece. Taking the smaller present she launched into the wrapping, taking her time so as to try and save the wrapping paper. When the paper was almost immaculately removed, Bryn found herself holding on to a square blue box, detaching the lid from the main box, Bryn stared at the contents in amazement.

"Oh my…" Bryn was struck dumb as she lifted the necklace gently out of its box. She was enthralled by the beautiful light blue glistening stones; her favourite colour; such a pretty pattern.

"When…how, how did you know?" Bryn stammered not knowing what else to say.

"I saw you admiring it in the shop the other day,"

"But I only glanced at it for a second or two!" Bryn insisted.

"I guess you could say he has very sharp eyes!" Robin interrupted, Vlad was posing the same question he had had the day Robin was 'supposedly missing' the one which concerned obtaining his powers before the allocated age. His thoughts were cut short when Bryn flung her arms around him and embraced him. It was longer than the last one he had received from her and it felt like forever, Vlad felt a tingle run down his spine as Bryn's chin rested on his shoulder momentarily.

"Who wants birthday cake?" Bryn's dad had appeared at the entryway of the room, carrying a large chocolate cake with exactly 13 candles on it, all of which were lit. Reciting the well-known tune of 'happy birthday' were, Robin, Vlad and Bryn's father and mother- who had appeared at the doorway as soon as the singing started. Bryn blow the candles out in one breath.

"Did you make a wish?" Robin asked, hoping that she would forget the saying that if you tell someone your wish it would never come true.

"I may have made a wish, then again I might not have," Bryn teased knowing exactly what he had wanted to know. She had made a wish; she had wished that she, Vlad and Robin would always be friends no matter what.

_Sorry this chapters a bit short but I hope you like it!_


	4. Dreams vs Reality

**Chapter 4**

_Vlad opened his eyes, where was he? Some kind of forest by the looks of it. Standing _

_up he took a good look around him. He didn't recognize anything; there was even a forest near where he lived so how the hell did he get here? Taking a deep breath in, Vlad started walking towards the blue strip that could only be a stream. Reaching this stream took a lot less time than he had thought it would and within seconds of him taking the decision he had arrived and was now staring into the crystal clear water. Vlad could see the reflection of a figure in the mirror-like stream, glancing upwards he could see Robin adorned in a white suit, his arms folded watching Vlad's every move._

"_Robin, what's with the white suit, I thought you hated white?" Robin gave no answer, just continued glaring at him. _

"_Oh come on, what have I done?" still no answer. Vlad studied the stream; it looked shallow enough to wade through without getting more than his ankles wet. He took the risk. On reaching the other side of the stream, he found that Robin had disappeared and in his place was a hungry-looking wolf. _

_The wolf growled, giving the impression that he was about to attack Vlad. 'Run' his mind told him, his feet already on the move. Running as fast as he could into the trees he was just about far enough distance away from the wolf to be considered safe, when he tripped on a tree root that had pierced the ground, rising prominently above the earth. The wolf had caught him up and had sunk his teeth into Vlad's ankle. Vlad let out a scream._

"Wake up!" Vlad was still screaming as Robin shook him awake. It took a while for Vlad to come to terms with his surroundings, the surroundings of reality. He had fallen asleep on the kitchen table in Robin's house, it was around eight o'clock in the morning, he had his schoolbag on his shoulder and Robin's family were staring at him.

"Bad dreams?" Robin asked, picking up his own schoolbag and helping Vlad up (he was still a little dazed, as the dream had felt so real). Trying to ignore the strange looks Robin's siblings gave him as he passed them; Vlad followed Robin, torpidly out the front door.

"Aren't we going to meet Bryn?" Vlad said absentmindedly as he became aware that they were heading directly for school.

"No, it's Thursday, Bryn's mum gives her a lift into school, remember?" Vlad shook his head.

"Gosh, you really are sleepy today!"

Bryn was waiting at the gate for them; she became aware of Vlad's bewildered state.

"What's wrong with Vlad?" she asked Robin just hazarding a guess that Vlad would not answer her even if she tried.

"He's sleepy"

Somewhere in his head, Vlad heard a bell ringing and was vaguely aware of being guided into the classroom.

_Opening his eyes, Vlad found himself in the forest again. There was no sign of the wolf or Robin. Picking himself up, he surveyed the area, it was empty, deserted. _

"_help!" Vlad heard someone shout, it sounded familiar. Running in the direction of the shout, he was shocked at what he found. Bryn was tied to a tree, Ingrid was tightening the rope around Bryn, it was cutting into her skin, making her bleed. _

"_Get off her!" Vlad hollered at Ingrid. He could believe that he was having to tell his own sister to leave go of his best friend. Ingrid pretended not to hear, and carried on with her appalling task. Bryn was screaming out in pain, generating Vlad's anger to maximum._

_He stormed over to Ingrid, pushing her away –she landed on the forest floor, her arm broken due to Vlad's unaccustomed strength. Franticly Vlad untied the ropes that held his friend firmly to the tree, he broke the bonds with an ease that he never had experienced before._

_Bryn fell to the floor, unconscious, Vlad scrambled beside her, shaking her trying his best to bring her around. _

"Bryn, Bryn!" Vlad awoke to find himself surrounded by his class, Robin was holding his bag and Bryn was supporting his head, going red in the face with embarrassment.

"Vlad, please, we're in school!" Bryn said softly, Vlad scanned the faces, catching Robin's smiling expression.

"You really need to start sleeping at night!" Robin whispered, lending him a hand to help him stand up. Bryn gave him another hand and together (one on each arm) they brought Vlad to a standing position.

"Now try not to fall asleep again!" Robin advised. Vlad had conveniently chosen his nap-place outside the classroom of their next lesson. Both Robin and Bryn continued poking Vlad throughout the history lesson; it seemed to work, every time he looked like he was about to drop off, he would get a sharp jab in the ribs from Robin or a big shove in the arm from Bryn.

They were all glad when the lesson ended. Taking Vlad to the bench and sitting him down, they sat down either side of him.

"Ok, what's with the midday naps?"

"Yeah, come on there must be some reason you're falling asleep, just like that." Bryn clicked her fingers to show what she meant.

"I don't know I really wish I did, but I don't." Vlad said equally as confused as his friends. He felt his ankle throbbing, rolling up his trouser leg he discovered that he had teeth marks around the ankle. It looked like a wolf's teeth marks, but that was in his dream, not in reality surly?

"That's it! I'm going to have to talk to Ingrid." Vlad said slightly peeved at the thought of the idea but it was the only way he was going to discover if the dreams were related to being a vampire or were just because he was tired.

Reluctantly, Vlad led the way into the year 10's zone, where normally any other year was prohibited. The three of them stayed close together; these were the students that had been ordered to make their lives hell, by none other than the one person they were trying to find, Ingrid. Bustling through the small crowd they reached Ingrid and two of her friends, Vlad pulled her aside.

"Get off me, freak!" She yelled at him. Vlad clenched his teeth; he was not in the mood for her stupid comments.

"Why am I getting these weird dreams, I'm sleeping in the day it's not right, it's got to be something?" Vlad demanded in the hope that she, being more of a true vampire's daughter than he would ever be son, would have a rational explanation.

"Oh my god. Why should you get to go into the damiric state before I do? It's not fair I'm the oldest!" Vlad couldn't believe his ears, at not one point did he ask her what she thought about it, he just wanted an answer!

"What is the damiric state?"

"You don't know what the damiric state is!" at this point Vlad was screaming inwardly. Why was it so hard for her to give an outright answer?

"No, so will you just tell me!"

"The damiric state is when a vampire starts having daytime dreams, in which what happens to them within the dream, happens to them in real life. It's meant to start when you are 16 so either you're cheating or you're having me on." Ingrid huffed off back to her friends, believing her younger brother was trying to catch her out with knowledge that he didn't think she knew.

Vlad went back to Robin and Bryn who were waiting for him a bit further away so as not to intrude his conversation.

"Do you think she saw me?" Robin asked

"Robin really, I think she was too busy talking to Vlad, so what did she say?" half of Bryn's sentence was directed at Robin and the other half was directed at Vlad.

Vlad told them what Ingrid had said.

"Ok so now we know sort of why you are sleeping during the day,"

The bell rang for the next lesson; P.E. Bryn went off to get her P.E bag and disappeared into the changing room. The two boys trailed along behind her collecting their own P.E bags in the process and going into the boys changing rather than the girls.

Vlad was still sat there, P.E bag in hand, when everyone else had finished changing and had gone out into the hall. Robin ran the tap and splashed Vlad with his wet hands.

"Urg, why'd you do that?"

"You were falling asleep mate."

"Sorry." Vlad said while putting his shirt on the peg and putting on the P.E polo shirt.

"Ready?" Vlad looked down; he still had his trousers on and Robin thought he was ready! Quickly Vlad changed his trousers for his shorts and they filed out the changing room door.

_Where was Bryn? One minute she had been unconscious on the forest floor, now she was gone._

"_Well done, you have completed task 2 successfully." It was Robin's voice. Averting his gaze from the floor to the voice, Vlad saw the white suited Robin, looking very stern and authoritative._

"_Task 2? What happened to task 1?" almost as soon as he said it Vlad realised what task 1 was._

"_The wolf defeated you, but do not worry you will have the chance to redeem yourself." It was not Robin speaking, well it was but it was so unlike him that it could have easily been someone else. _

"_Robin, what was task 2 exactly?" Robin made a big thing of glancing at Ingrid, who was lying on the ground cradling her broken arm._

"_The test of strength." Vlad looked at where his sister had fell, starting to comprehend what Robin was telling him. He hadn't noticed what he had done because he had been too full of anger, but now he understood that he had used extraordinary strength to both inflict injury to Ingrid and break through the ropes which had held Bryn to the tree._

_Before Vlad had a chance to say anything, Robin had gone, vanished into thin air, leaving him once again alone in the forest. Ambling through the trees Vlad felt very apprehensive about what the next task would involve. _

_The sky was getting darker as the hooded figures advanced towards Vlad. There were at least five of them, all taller and bulkier then him. He didn't know what to do, he was unarmed, half their size and alone. The figures got closer, bearing stakes in their hands. Vlad remembered what Ingrid had told him about the things happening in a dream happening in reality, so if he was killed in the dream he was most likely not to wake up at all in reality. He had to be careful. _

_Screwing his eyes up he wished he could be anywhere else but right there. When he reopened his eyes Vlad found himself back by the stream, his feet soaked as he had apparated in the stream instead of beside it. _

"_Well done, you have successfully completed task 3, apparition." Vlad fell into the steam cutting his hands on the rocks; Robin's ability to apparate when and where he wanted was really freaking him out. _

"_Robin... Robin?" Vlad had turned round to an empty place were Robin should've have been._

"Robin?"

"I'm here mate, you've been dreaming again haven't you?" Vlad nodded now facing Robin square on, he tried to distinguish the difference between the appearance of the dream Robin and the real Robin.

"Hey was I in it?" Robin asked intrigued. Vlad nodded not being able to bring himself to say anything at that precise moment.

"Cool! What was I doing?"

"You were being completely weird," Vlad told him, verifying it to himself at the same time. Robin was waiting eagerly for an explanation but it was neither the time nor the place to be talking about his dreams.

"I'll explain later, help me up." Robin snapped out of his little reverie -regarding what he had been doing in Vlad's dream- and quickly grabbed Vlad's arm and pulled him up.

They entered the sports hall apparently unnoticed; slipping in conveniently with the group that was batting (it was a game of indoor rounder's.) picking up a bat each, it was as if they had been there the whole time. Apart from that the teacher's assistant, who had been situated on the outskirts of the game so as to keep an eye on the proceedings, had noticed and reported that the two boys had arrived nearly twenty minutes late to the lesson, to the P.E teacher.

"Robin and Vladimir, come here!" The teacher bellowed across the hall. They glanced at each other, Vlad giving him an apologetic look, before making the humiliatingly long walk across the hall.

Out of the corner of his eye Vlad saw Bryn lower her bowling arm, holding the ball tightly, a concerned look about her face as she watched her two friends walk slowly up to the harshest teacher in the school.

"Where have you two been to make you twenty minutes late for my lesson?" the teacher, Mr Ryder, roared at them.

"He dozed off." Robin said, pointing at Vlad, he was attempting the simple, honest tactic for escaping the wraith of this teacher. It wasn't working.

"Don't give me excuses, where were you?" Mr Ryder received no answer for this question as he had already been given the truthful reply but had refused to believe it and now the boys where struggling for a valid excuse.

"I shall see you in detention, lunch time. Maybe then you will know what you were doing for twenty minutes of my lesson!" they slothfully re-joined the batting group, dreading the lunch time detention with Mr Ryder.

Awaiting their turn to bat, Vlad and Robin watched in awe at how easily Bryn was bowling the ball towards the batter. Robin was the first (of the two of them) to step into the square box to begin his round. Bryn bowled the ball to him, hitting him hard in the arm. 'She did that on purpose' Robin thought as he sprinted to first base. He stood there glaring at Bryn as she bowled the next ball to Vlad. She went lightly on him throwing the ball so as it was virtually un-miss-able. He lazily ran to the first base, Robin running to the next base not crucially worried about the rule concerning two people at the same base.

Vlad was quickly stumped out and Robin soon followed at the end of the game the team that had been fielding first (Bryn's team) won. Which, considering who was in the batting team, was not really much of a surprise.

Lunch time cropped up all too soon, Vlad and Robin brought their pack lunches into the dining hall and grabbed an empty table. They didn't wait for Bryn to get her school diner, if they were late for a detention for Mr Ryder, it would mean more detentions and possibly an after school one too. Bryn was still in the middle of the line when Robin finished his sandwiches and crisps and was opening his yogurt; he rummaged in his lunch box for a few seconds but came out empty handed.

"Arg mum forgot to pack me a spoon! Be back in a minute." Robin got up to fetch a spoon from the kitchen; they were usually quite obliging on those sorts of matters. Vlad nodded, still munching through his sandwich.

Robin came back, spoon in hand, with Bryn. She was carrying her dinner of fish and chips with great care. She placed the tray on the table much less care than she had carried it and Robin slammed the spoon on the table, quite loudly, on purpose.

_He was in the forest again. For a change he wasn't alone, quite far ahead of him there were the five hooded figures standing round a fire, above which, suspended in the air was Bryn. She had been tied to a branch which hung over the fire dangerously. _

_Not even thinking what he was doing, Vlad picked up his speed and headed directly for the campfire. He was running so fast he was literally a metre away before he even contemplated what he was going to do. 'If only I could fly' he thought. Still advancing towards the quintet, Vlad felt his feet lift of the ground and his arms grow into wings, he had transfigured into a bird or more precisely a tawny owl. Flying around the figures, he caused havoc; ripping the hoods, pecking at them until they were forced to move, flee, abandoning their well lit campfire. Vlad cackled his throat felt hoarse as he attempted to laugh. Landing on the ground, aside the fire, Vlad experienced a prickling sensation as his wings retracted and his legs grew back to normal height. He had done it. He had alarmed them so much they had felt scared and, like cowards, had run away._

"_Aren't I allowed to come down then?" Bryn asked still dangling from the tree. Vlad, consumed with all his newfound pride, had forgotten the main reason for defeating the hooded figures._

"_Oh, right." _

_Climbing up the tree, Vlad discovered that it was extremely easy to slide the rope, which held Bryn above the flames, further towards him so as when Vlad untied the knot, Bryn would not fall into the fire but instead land on the soft leaf covered earth. Quickly climbing down, Vlad checked that she was unhurt. Her mouth was moving, telling him something but he could make out what she was saying. Why couldn't he hear her? Why was she fading away?_

"_No! Don't go! No!"_

"Vlad." He opened his eyes. He was lying on the bed in the medical room, (a small square room big enough to just about fit a bed and a chair within it). Bryn was sitting on the chair, Robin leaning on the wall behind her. It had been Bryn who had said his name and brought him back to reality, sitting up and pushing the pillow further up so he could lean on it; Vlad positioned himself so he could clearly see both of his friends.

"The nurse has just gone to phone the Count, tell him to pick you up." Bryn told him. He was staring her as if it was a miracle that she was actually sat there being able to tell him this with such a calm manner but to Vlad it did seem like a miracle. The last thing he remembered was her dangling from a branch about to fall into a fire and be scorched to death, now she was sitting opposite trying to calm him down.

"Hey you promised that you would tell us what happens in your dreams." Vlad sighed; He couldn't deny Robin what he had already promised him, he just didn't feel like it was such a good idea anymore. Nevertheless Vlad retold his numerous dreams right from the start to the where he had left off. He deliberately missed out on telling them of his emotions, he simply stuck to the events and facts.

"Cool! So was i like your mentor or something? Pity I wasn't in a black suit." Robin was visualizing Vlad's dream but changing the colour of his suit.

"And I suppose I was the damsel in distress!" They all laughed at this although Vlad knew Bryn's comment had been completely true.

The nurse came back in; she eventually managed to squeeze herself past Robin and Bryn to get to the bed.

"Go on you two, off to your lessons. I'm sure Vladimir will be fine without you." The nurse sounded rather annoyed so neither of them put up much of a fight. Robin and Bryn opened the door and were half out it when the nurse called after them.

"Can one of you go and get Vladimir's stuff for him?"

Bryn turned back and Vlad gave her the keys to his locker. They left, returning with the keys and bag in a lot more time then they could've done it in. both Robin and Bryn had had trouble remembering where Vlad's locker was situated and had had a small argument about it. Robin held Vlad's bag and Bryn held his coat, they were about to give it to him when the items were rudely snatched off them by the nurse.

"I told one of you to go not both of you, come on get along with you." She ushered them out the door, much to both their disappointment, without even letting them saying goodbye to Vlad.

"Now you get some rest dear, before your father comes to pick you up." The nurse changed her tone so much that Vlad could have sworn it was a different person talking out of the same mouth.

He wasn't entirely sure that sleep was going to help him as much as the nurse insisted it would. To start with, sleeping was the main reason he was going home and the dreams were part of the problem. Doing as he was told, Vlad laid down facing the wall and closed his eyes for the millionth time.

_The forest again._

"_Well done, you have successfully completed task 1 and task 4; speed and transfiguration." Robin's voce echoed through the trees, it had originated from behind were Vlad was standing but seemed to take over the whole forest._

"_How many more tasks are there?" Vlad shouted into the open space unsure of the exact location he was meant to be directing it to._

"_You have one final task to complete. To get there you must use your newfound skill of apparition, I shall leave you to it." Robin, who had just that moment revealed himself, apparated into thin air. Vlad took a bit longer to figure out where and how he was meant to apparate. In the end he closed his eyes and hoped for the best. _

_Vlad discovered himself to be within a building much like his own home: draughty, medieval and dreary. Robin was standing in the corner surveying the scene; there was a long wooden table at one end stood Vlad (looking dazed and bewildered) and on the other end was a dark robed figure positioned on the tall, long-backed chair, examining Vlad with his undetectable beady eyes. Vlad was yet unaware of this opposing presence. _

"_Robin, where am I?" Robin lifted his finger to his lips indicating for Vlad to be silent; he then turned his head in the direction of the figure. Only then did Vlad realize that they were not alone. _

"_Vladimir Dracula, we finally meet. A little early I must say, but nevertheless. Shall we commence?" with such a foreboding voice Vlad felt obliged to agree, at what they were commencing he had no idea but he was to find out sooner rather than later._

_A bolt of lightning hit the ceiling, startling Vlad, making him pay closer attention to the ominous character. It was he how had thrown the bolt, this was a dangerous character someone who Vlad would usually endeavour to avoid but in this case that was slightly impossible for this person already knew who he was and was staring right at him. _

_The contender threw another lightning bolt this time it was directed at Vlad, he dodged it quickly but he was going to have to pay closer attention if he wanted to come out of this alive. His adversary kept throwing bolts of lightning at him- he kept dodging them until he felt it had gone on far too long and it was time for him to make his move._

_At the next bolt of lightning Vlad apparated landing nearer to the dark figure, he aimed his hand at him and to his astonishment a small spark of fire escaped from his hand, singeing the cuff of the dark purple robe the figure had adorned. _

"_Well done young Dracula, you are improving." The being seemed happier that Vlad was retaliating, then he was concerned about his clothing getting burnt._

_Vlad's ability to produce a flame from his hand increased as he went on, until his flame was as big as his contender's bolt of lightning. _

_Now that they were equally matched, the challenge started to get harder as the mysterious figure was not being so lenient on Vlad and Vlad was responding to each bolt he was thrown with ease. The contest continued in this way for a considerable amount of time neither of them flinching up until that moment; Vlad saw his chance, while his opponent had let his guard slip ever so slightly he threw his biggest flame right into his stomach. The figure disintegrated, leaving his deep purple robe behind._

"_I must congratulate you Vladimir Dracula; even your father never caught me off guard. I will now present you with your reward." The figure, who had just disintegrated in front of his very eyes, walked through the grand double doors as if he disintegrated and resurrected himself on a daily bases. Striding across to his purple robe he retrieved it, placing it across his shoulders, his arm fell around Vlad's back as he gently felt himself being guided over towards the table. Robin pulled out a chair and Vlad was specified to be seated. _

"_Now. You have shown to me that you are a talented young vampire, and I am pleased to present you with a chance to complete your transformation early." Vlad was dumbfounded. So this was what this was about. He had gone through all of that to be offered to be able to do something earlier then was the norm and not to want it anyway._

"_Who are you?" Vlad asked something that in all fairness should have been done hours ago. _

"_Why, I am the great Masink Horatio Dracula, creator of the damiric state." Masink answered with disbelief._

"_Dracula?" Vlad echoed._

"_Yes, I am your great-great-great grandfather." Vlad's jaw dropped open, he had just been fighting his own flesh and blood and for what cause? _

"_So will you accept my offer?" Vlad took one deep thought moment to answer that question._

"_No." _

"_What?" Masink could not believe his ears._

"_No, why should I accept a reward when it is something I've been dreading all my life?"_

"_Dreading? But I have chosen you, only you will get this opportunity."_

"_Then un-choose me." Vlad said matter of fact-ly. _

"_you are foolish, boy, foolish!" the room started to whirl and the echo of the last word Masink Dracula told his great-great-great grandson, hung all around him intimidating him as everything else faded away in front of him._

Vlad sat up sharply, inhaling in an abrupt lungful of air.

"Arh, you're awake, so were you chosen?" the count asked his son eagerly.

"No." Vlad said quickly before it became too obvious that he was lying. The Count tuted glancing away for a moment as he overcame his disappointment.

"Never mind, who was your mentor?"

"My mentor? Robin." As soon as Vlad had told his father this he knew it had annoyed him greatly.

"hum, it seems as though you are the first in many a generation to have someone other than your father as your mentor." Why did this information not surprise Vlad?

"does everyone have to rescue someone in the dream?" he asked just wondering whether it was a usual thing to happen in the damiric state.

"Yes, mostly, I had to rescue my younger brother. Who did you have to rescue?"

"Bryn." The count frowned, using the hum word that he often uses when think about something.

The nurse came in to tell them that the car was waiting for them outside (she refused to mention Renfield, I suppose you couldn't blame her,) and the Count closed his open mouth that had been about to tell Vlad what the person being rescued represented but had stopped as the nurse walked in. if the Count had a chance to say what he was going to say, Vlad may have learnt something very interesting.

_**Authors note: I didn't realize how long this chapter was! Never mind makes up for the short chapter 3, still I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Oh and please review!**_


	5. summer holiday!

Chapter 5

"We're all going on a summer holiday!" Robin had his arms around his two best friends' shoulders singing loudly into their ears. He was excited, as were they all, because they were all going to Spain (courtesy of Bryn's parents). The three of them were walking down the town centre, Vlad and Bryn wishing Robin could contain his excitement a little more affectively then he was currently doing.

Their three suitcases stood in the middle of Bryn's living room, awaiting their departure the following day and they had just been sent out to buy some odd bits and pieces that had been left out when they packed.

"So we come to your house tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock?" Vlad asked Bryn, ignoring Robin for a moment. Bryn nodded and turned her head to Robin.

"Did you hear that? My house tomorrow morning at 8," Robin gave one sharp nod to affirm that he already knew this. They were now outside Boots and after attempting to go in all at once resulting in Robin having to take his arms of the shoulders of his two friends and go in single file, they entered the shop. Bryn got out the list her parents had given her from her pocket.

"Right, we need: toothpaste, sun-cream, a spare toothbrush (just in case), and a new flannel for dad." She said directing them into the aisle labelled 'dental'. Bryn picked out her family's favourite brand of toothpaste, leaving Robin to pick the toothbrush, while Vlad went to get a basket. They waited awhile for Vlad to come back with the basket, before they headed for the next item on the list.

They were at the checkout when Vlad noticed who was behind them –the same people who had been stalking them around the shop, only Vlad had sensed that they were being dogged, but then he was the only one who was equally equipped with all five senses being somewhat extraordinary. Behind them were some of the year 10 boys whom Ingrid had sent to cause their lives misery.

"Hey look its cape boy!"

Robin tensed, grabbing Vlad's and Bryn's arm.

"Oh great," Robin whispered so as them behind him couldn't hear.

"And look he's with his weirdo friends, that one lives in a spooky castle," someone nudged the speaker, telling him that Ingrid lived in the same castle so that was a useless comment.

"Look they've got their girlfriend with them, the small wimp of a girl,"

"Yeah, and cape boy fancies her." Ha, if only they knew who Robin actually fancied then they would be in shock!

Keeping a calm face Bryn paid for the items and started to head for the exit. The five boys followed. They waited until they were outside the shop before the tallest boy pushed Bryn over, making the contents of her plastic bag spread across the pavement. Robin bent down to help Bryn collect the products that they had just brought from the shop, another boy pushed him over, and he landed awkwardly on his leg.

Vlad's anger was almost to the point of boiling. One more thing would completely set it off. Bryn was getting up putting things back in the bag, when Vlad saw one of the other boys about to kick her over again. That was it, the last straw. Vlad charged at the boy, he was twice his size but totally unprepared. The boy went flying into the shop window, literally smashing it into millions of pieces. The shop alarms went off, burning loudly in Vlad ears; he had caused this, he had thrown a boy into a window! Vlad stood there in complete and utter shock; he couldn't believe he had the strength within him to be able to push someone with that amount of force.

"Vlad, it's alright," Bryn was standing next to him her hand on his shoulder. She understood what had happened and why.

"Gee mate, you've gained a lot of strength," Robin was standing by Bryn, not helping the matter at all.

Luckily no one was hurt and it was a case of sorting out who did what, when the police arrived. The police didn't believe that Vlad had actually caused the accident; they believed that he was covering up for the one who did. The police checked that the shop had insurance to cover the cost of the broken window, took the boy who had been thrown into the glass to hospital- just on precaution, and sent Vlad, Robin and Bryn home, warning them not to get caught up in wrong doings again.

"I didn't mean to do it, it just happened." Vlad said his voice trembling.

"It's alright you did no harm, well not to anyone living that is."

"I'm not sure the window's too impressed!" Robin joked; Bryn smiled but didn't laugh as Vlad was not exactly in the right frame of mind for jokes.

They reached Bryn's house, giving the bag of battered items to her parents, they proceed into the living room where, through the pile of suitcases, they managed to find a big enough space on the sofa for at least two of them to sit on, with the other perched on the arm. Bryn held her arm around Vlad's shoulders; oddly he found this extremely comforting. Robin adjusted his position of the arm of the sofa so that he had his back comfortably leaning on the wall.

"Ere didn't you do something like that in that dream state thing?" Robin was starting to grasp what Bryn had understood from the very beginning.

"Oh, you don't think that what I learnt in the dream I learn in real life?"

"He's right, it could happen!" Bryn said letting Robin take the glory for this one; it wasn't often that he was able to claim that he had come up with the idea himself.

It was 8 0'clock on a Monday morning, and the Nurson household was bustling around the house, with two additions from the Branning family and the Dracula family making the house seem all that smaller.

"We're all going on a summer holiday!" Robin sang as he dragged his suitcase to the doorway.

"Robin! It's too early in the morning to be singing!" Bryn shouted to him from the living room.

"We have to get up early then this for school!" Robin shouted back.

"Yeah but this is different, it's the holidays!" Vlad replied. He had overcome the trauma of the previous day's events and was now looking forward to the week away with his friends.

"Are you kids ready yet?" Paul Nurson (Bryn's father) asked. He had loaded all the suitcases in the car and was simply waiting for everyone to get into the car so that the holiday could begin. Bryn hurried them up, getting into the car within five minutes of her father's comment.

"Chrysantia, we're all ready!" Paul called up to his wife, who was just getting her handbag and locking the door.

"just coming!" she was literally walking down the path as she said this. She got into the front seat and Mr Nurson put the key in the ignition and they drove off leaving the Nurson house deserted.

They arrived at the airport, emptied the car and started to trundle their suitcases into the main building. Halfway in and Bryn spotted two people she knew very well, trundling their own suitcases towards them.

"Clea, Lyden what are you doing here?" Bryn greeted her older brother and sister with a hug each.

"We're coming with you!" Clea told her younger sister. Clea was the oldest at 20, Lyden was her younger by 2 years (he being 18), both of them had been previously engaged in 'important business' every time that Bryn had phoned them to ask them if they could come to Spain as was the norm on family holidays.

"What happened to the important stuff?" Bryn asked innocently.

"Oh come on Bryn, you really thought that we'd miss a family holiday?" this was Lyden speaking, he was tying Bryn's pigtails together in a knot so she would have difficulty untying them; it was his custom to do that every time Bryn had her hair brushed into that style.

Bryn introduced Robin and Vlad to her older siblings; it was amusing to see Robin go so quiet –he was shy, believe it or not, when it came to meeting new people!- he shook Lyden and Clea's hand But didn't really say much. Vlad on the other hand was very chatty, and very soon he and Lyden had found something in common, they went on talking about it for a considerable amount of time before they noticed that everyone was waiting for them to finish.

Continuing on to the check in desk and proceeding on to the waiting area, Bryn's parents allowed them to go round a few shops while they waited by the boarding times, it didn't feel all that long until they were queuing to get on the plane.

"Bryn, did you know that your hair is knotted together?" Vlad asked as he had been standing behind her for a while.

"Oh that was probably Lyden, could you undo it for me he always ties it in impossible knots!" Vlad did as he was asked, untying her pigtails with great care. Lyden nudged Clea in Bryn and Vlad's direction.

"Looks like our little sis is growing up!" Lyden whispered into Clea's ear.

"Don't let Bryn hear you say that, she'll hit you!" Clea said a little louder than Lyden had.

"Don't let me hear what?" Bryn had heard them, well at least Clea.

"I didn't say anything!" Lyden tried to defend himself but Bryn hit him in the arm anyway.

"Behave children!" their mother had moved behind them, jokingly telling them off although there was some element of seriousness in it, they were being a little childish at least Lyden and Clea were being childish; Bryn was still a child so it didn't count.

Robin and Vlad felt a bit left out, they just hoped that it wouldn't happen every day of their holiday. Bryn came back to them and they boarded the plane, miraculously finding enough seats for all three of them to sit together; Bryn at the window seat, Vlad in the middle and Robin on the end.

Robin was the only one of them that had never flown before, Vlad had flown to France for a school trip in year 6 but other than that he hadn't been anywhere else, with his family who can blame him! Robin was very excitable throughout the flight; he was fidgeting, asking too many obvious questions and generally annoying Vlad and Bryn. They were glad when the flight ended and Robin could stop being annoying and become excited with the rest of them.

Recollecting their suitcases proved to be a fun task. Watching avidly as each suitcase was pushed onto the revolving strip, to see if any belonged to them. When they all finally had retrieved their suitcases, they proceeded down the long corridor that led to the exit.

"We're here. we're actually in Spain, right now!" Robin exclaimed in delight.

"Yes Robin we're in Spain." Bryn said undermining his excitable mood in the hope that he would get the hint that he was being a bit too lively, as if he would calm it down anyway!

They caught a coach to their hotel, the Calypso. It was a pretty, modern type hotel, which had a cinema, a small shop and very comfortable rooms. Lyden was sharing his room with Robin and Vlad; Clea, Bryn and their parents had another room for themselves. The rooms where right next to each other so it wasn't that much trouble for them to visit each other.

It was not a surprise when Clea headed straight for the swimming pool after unpacking. Lyden headed for the cinema to see what was showing and Bryn, Vlad and Robin where left to wait for Paul and Chrysantia Nurson to decide what they wanted to do. Neither of them wanted to go to the swimming pool or the cinema as their eldest children had done, instead they fancied taking a stroll around to get a feel of the place.

They found the high street, the MacDonald's and the beach, during their walk although they weren't allowed to go onto the beach or into MacDonald's. The Nurson's were saving those activities for another day. On arriving back at the Hotel Calypso, they found Lyden at the bar and Clea still in the swimming pool. They joined Lyden, although they had lemonade rather than an alcoholic drink.

The party retired early as all the travelling had worn them out and Paul and Chrysantia had something very exciting planned for the next day.

The Tuesday morning sun, shinned brightly through the flimsy curtains, it woke Vlad up immediately, he wasn't used to being woken up by the sun, the castle was always very dark, even in the morning. He shook Robin awake gently, turns out he was waking up anyway, they talked for a while until it became obvious that everyone else was stirring.

"What do you think?" Robin asked.

"What do I think about what?"

"The holiday," Robin said making it sound as though the question was completely obvious.

"Oh, well it's been good so far, but it's only been one day!" Vlad exclaimed failing to see how Robin could ask such a question when they had even had a full day in the place yet. Lyden had slid out of bed, apparently forgetting that Vlad and Robin were also in the room. He wasn't wearing a t-shirt and his hair was a mess. He disappeared into the bathroom still half asleep. When he returned he was awake, hair combed back down and t-shirt on.

"Hi guys!" he said now remembering that they were there.

"Hi" Vlad and Robin chorused back.

"portadventura!"Lyden exclaimed expecting them to understand what he meant and be as enthusiastic as he was being, seeing their confused looks, he tried covering up.

"Ah, I guess that that's been kept a secret up till now, sorry just act surprised when you get told!" it didn't really matter as Robin and Vlad didn't have a clue what 'portadventura' was. They soon found out what it was, when they were standing outside the entrance to the theme park.

"Now, you three can go off by yourselves but make sure you're back here by five." Bryn's mother told them, quite hopeful that her daughter would be able to keep track of the time. She gave Bryn a ten pound note which would in theory pay for all their lunches and headed off in the opposite direction with her husband.

Clea seemed to know what she ride she was planning to go on already and so she left going right, after her parents. Lyden hadn't moved yet, he was still deciding what go on first. Robin was unaware that Lyden was towering over him, making Bryn and Vlad giggle.

"Where are we going first then?" Robin asked, ignoring their giggles.

"How about the Temple de fuego?" Lyden suggested making Robin jump out of his skin.

"Or the Oceanic World…" he added.

"Or that roller-coaster over there," Vlad was pointing to the loop-the-loop track that rose above the park at an extortionately elevated height. None of them where particularly fearful of heights and to them it looked like great fun, not a terrifying experience. Agreeing that this was a good place to start, the four of them trekked to join the end of the long queue waiting for their roller-coaster ride. It took five minutes for them to reach the front of the line and to be ushered on to the ride. Bryn sat with her brother, Robin and Vlad sat in front of them.

Vlad closed his eyes when they reached the loop-the-loop he felt as though he was flying, he literally felt weightless, drifting away from reality almost experiencing the same feeling that he had had in his dream. The ride came to a close before anything happened and Vlad felt the safety bar, that had been holding him firmly in, lift up and Robin pushed him out.

"Please tell me you didn't fall asleep!" Bryn enquired.

"No I didn't! I just closed my eyes," Vlad defended himself.

"Hey, shall we go on that ride next?" Lyden proposed, pointing to the signboard. They walked over to the entrance and stood staring at the board.

"What does it say?" Robin asked assuming that Lyden knew how to read the language.

"Don't know it's all in Spanish!" Lyden laughed.

"Oh well I guess we'll have to go on and find out!" Bryn stated, heading down the pathway leading to the mysterious ride. They took their seats on the roller-coaster type ride.

"Looks like a water ride," Vlad deduced after peering over the side of the cart.

"Just to warn you, you might get a bit wet!" this comment had come from a young boy behind them, he and his mum where sensibly wearing waterproof poncho. The ride had already begun so it was too late to get off and buy a similar garment. It was a nice floating ride until the end when they were plummeted down the hill with a great splash which soaked them all to the skin.

They came off the lagoon- now they knew what it was called- looking like drowned rats, to be greeted by a laughing Clea, who after seeing their sorry state had decided against going on that ride. Lyden flicked his wet hair so as the water would go on Clea, so as she wasn't the only one dry and had no more excuse to be laughing at them.

After going on a few more dry rides, they stopped in the café to have a well-deserved lunch of fish and chips. Clea had joined them, resulting in their conversation being a bit more mature than it would have been otherwise.

"How long have you three been friends?" Clea asked. All three of them took a while to count up the years before simultaneously replying 'three years' they looked at each other, only marginally spooked at how similarly their minds worked, it seemed to be so common now that they often where able to understand what the other meant even if they didn't say it correctly.

"If I didn't know you, I would have said that that was slightly weird, oh what the hell I do know and I still think it's weird!" Lyden declared, realizing how much of his little sister's life he had become unaware of during the three years that he hadn't been living with her.

"Well we do get called weird at school…" Vlad started,

"So I suppose that must be why." Bryn finished, grinning as she realized that she had just done exactly what Lyden had found weird.

Every inch of their plates was scraped clean when they stood up to leave. All of them had been extremely hungrier than usual. Heading out into the hot afternoon sun, they paused as they came to a crossroad.

"Temple de fuego anyone?" Lyden hinted flinging his hand in the direction of the large sign reading the name and regulations of the attraction that had intrigued him the most.

"Temple de fuego it is then!" Clea declared proceeding past her brother and pushing his arm down.

The five of them squeezed in with a large crowd, who were speaking in several different languages that none of them could identify, waiting for the action to start. Vlad and Bryn took this opportunity to survey the room that they were in; it was designed to be similar to those eastern ancient caves that often cropped up in movies, and the ceiling was intricately designed with vines and plants completely covering the whole area save for the open hatch with the rope hanging down, which the actor used to slide down onto the platform, dressed not that unlike the attire of Indiana Jones, and frighten the majority of people unaware that there even was a hatch. Even Robin let out a little exclamation of surprise. The actor began talking in Spanish boring Vlad, Robin and Bryn as they could not understand a word of what was being said.

Robin was staring at the sand-covered floor, admiring the effort put into the attraction but wishing that there was a translator so he could understand what the actor was telling them.

Vlad had given up trying to pick out words that he knew, the actor talked to fast and it was hard to make out the simplest of words like the word for 'and' for instance, instead he closed his eyes imagining the classic scene of the lava river that he had seen countless of times in movies like Indiana Jones. He felt himself drift away.

Bryn continued staring at the hatchway wondering how people could have possible not seen it, she moved her gaze to the Spanish speaking actor, he was dressed in a way that was familiar but she was struggling to put a name to it. 'Indiana Jones?' she thought, just a random guess and although it was right on the mark, she had to check. She reached out her hand to touch Vlad's shoulder, so she could ask him (as he was more interested in those types of films than she or Robin was) whether or not she had guessed right. Her hand fell into air. Vlad was gone. Her head turned slowly to were Vlad should have been there was no sign that he had stood there, just an empty space.

Bryn leaned forward slightly and nudged Robin in the arm, he turned discreetly towards her.

"Did you see where Vlad went?" Bryn whispered.

"No… why?" Robin hissed back.

"He's gone, vanished, nowhere in sight!" Bryn was getting very worried now. They both tried in vain to see over people's heads, see if they could spot Vlad among them but it was impossible, they were simply too small. A door was opened by the actor and he ushered them in, Robin and Bryn followed only hoping that Vlad was in the crowd somewhere.

Vlad reopened his eyes, to find himself staring at the very same thing that he had been daydreaming about; the lava river. It was in the same building, he realized, with the same theme running throughout, the intricately designed vine ceiling, the sand on the floor and the ancient cave type walls. He was in the corner by a set of steps that he assumed must be the exit, when an opening in the wall began to slide away and the crowd that he had been squished in the square shaped room with began to file in and take their places round the lava river as instructed.

Bryn spotted Vlad in the corner, grabbing Robin with her she moved swiftly to where Vlad was standing, still slightly dazed.

"What happened to you mate?" Robin asked before they had stopped moving.

"I don't know. I think I apparated, I closed my eyes thought about the river of lava and here I was!" Vlad said not too loud as the actor was speaking and although they couldn't understand him other people could (well a few minority) and it was rude to talk over someone.

Bryn flung her arms around Vlad's neck.

"Don't ever do that again!" she whispered into his ear.

"I'll try not to!" Vlad whispered back


	6. great heights

**Chapter 6**

It was Sunday the last day of the holiday to Spain. The week had consisted of portadventura for three days, the beach on Wednesday and the shops on Friday. Now they were back on the beach for a few hours until it was time to go back to the hotel and collect their suitcases for the long journey back home. Robin had been buried in the sand by Vlad, with a little help from Bryn and Lyden, and now the sea had reach him removing the sand from his feet so it was easy for him to stand up and shake the sand away from his body and on to the culprit buriers.

"Run now, before the mummy catches us!" Lyden joked.

"Ok why don't we have a race, the first one to the playground wins?" Bryn proposed. The others agreed and took the places at the makeshift starting line.

"One, two, three go!" Robin shouted, they all set off running as fast as they could, for Vlad this was faster than he had ever been before. He reached the playground with ease and found that he had left the others only ¼ away from the starting point.

'Task one speed' the words echoed in his head as a reminder of what had just happened, he was slowly gaining the vampire qualities that he had learnt during the damiric state, but this time they were for real and he was to live with these new qualities for the rest of his life.

"Gee, mate I know you're fast but that's just taking the mick!" Robin panted almost doubled over trying to catch his breath. Lyden was the next on to catch up, he too was panting, complaining that Vlad was impossibly fast. Bryn was last, she had never been a very good runner and so Robin and Lyden had already caught their breath when Bryn arrived gasping for air, and moaning that she was unfit.

"Vlad… I know… that you're fast… but seriously… that was… like… your father?" Bryn managed to get out in between breaths; she was slightly confused as she said the last word of her sentence.

"I think I'm gaining my qualities, you know?" Vlad said quietly, missing out the word 'vampire' because Lyden was in earshot. Luckily Bryn understood what he was trying to get at, Robin took longer and after Bryn whispered it into his ear he completely understood what Vlad had meant and why he couldn't say it out loud.

"Come on, Bryn, Lyden its three o'clock!" three o'clock, it was time to be making their way wearily back to the hotel and collect their belongings and head to the airport.

Saying goodbye to the lovely week they had had in the country of Spain.

September 2nd, the Tuesday back to school, the Tuesday after Vlad's 13th birthday. They crammed into the small corridor, the familiar smell of rusty lockers wafted through their nostrils, leaving them with the comfortable but annoying reminder that they were back in the school building about to start another long year of hard work.

Vlad was consciously aware that a lot of the year 10 now year 11's were avoiding them, more precisely avoiding him. He wasn't all that happy about it because it had meant that the boys that they had had a run in with, had gone around the town spreading a rumour about Vlad's inexplicable strength. Wasn't exactly how he had planned it but beggars can't be choosers!

"How does it feel, being 13?"Robin asked he wasn't entirely sure why he was asking but it did seem like a good conversation starter.

"Not much different from I was 12 thanks!" Vlad replied. And that was the end of that conversation!

Bryn Nurson year eight nine

Vladimir Dracula year 8 9

Robin Branning year 8 9

They had all done it, in all fairness practically the whole class had done it, wrote year 8 and had to cross it out to put year 9 instead. It was a common mistake for the first day back into a different year; common enough to make at least 2/3 of the school do it.

In every lesson and in every book the same mistake was made, whether it was in words or numbers.

"Are you finding that you're writing year eight all the time?" Bryn asked Robin and Vlad.

"Yeah, just can't seem to put nine for some reason!" Robin agreed.

"I think I'm just getting the hang of it now look the first clean book with no scribbling's!" Vlad said showing his new science book to Bryn, Robin was leaning over Bryn's shoulder to see it.

"Took the whole day though!" Robin said deafening Bryn, who hadn't noticed that Robin was leaning over her. Bryn jumped hitting Robin in the chin with her shoulder.

"Ow!" Robin exclaimed.

"That'll serve you right for making Bryn jump!" Vlad said through his giggles. Bryn kept asking him if Robin was alright, she had never intentionally meant to hurt him, but he did like to get in the way.

"I'm alright," Robin said in a squeaky high voice, that suggested that he wasn't (he was only faking it; he was trying to wind Bryn up).

"Aw I really didn't mean it!" Bryn backed up her own comment. She put an arm around Robin's shoulders and squeezed it tight to show that she was sorry.

"A game of ball anyone?" Vlad enquired, a small tennis ball held in his right hand.

"Sure," Bryn shrugged, playing catch was her personal favourite ball game, mainly because she was the general winner.

It was the end of the school day and the three friends were in the school courts having dumped their bags by the fence and gone into the middle of the rectangle playing area. It was customary for them to play a little game of catch for ten minutes or so before making their way back home –that of course depended on whether they could get hold of a tennis ball or not. Today Vlad had found one abandoned on the playing field, looking like it desperately needed bouncing.

Vlad threw the ball to Robin who was caught unaware and so consequently dropped it. He picked it and threw it to Bryn who, unlike Robin, caught it perfectly, one handed. Bryn tried to trick Robin by throwing it back to him but this time he was awake seized the small green ball with very little skill, it was a pure miracle it even landed in his outstretched hand –usually he would forget that the one way to catch a ball was to hold out your hands wide enough that the ball would simply fall into. Robin chucked the ball in the vague direction of Vlad; it missed completely and went soaring, at a considerably large height, past his head.

"I'll get it!" Vlad shouted already running for the ball. He watched the height wondering how Robin had managed to get it so high; when he felt his feet lift of the ground. He felt as light as a feather, flying through the air, he had wings instead of arms and claws instead of feet; he was a bird, the owl that he had transformed into during the damiric state. He caught the ball in his beak and fluttered back down dropping the ball in front of Bryn as he transformed back into his human form.

"The last skill right?" Bryn queried, Vlad and Bryn where face to face, they were the same height and so were unconscious of the fact they were staring into each other's eyes.

"yes… er, no there's one more." Vlad remembered that the last one had been his ability to produce fire from his hand; he kind of hoped that this ability wouldn't happen too soon, he was entirely sure how to control it.

"What's that?" Robin asked interrupting their intricate moment.

"Fire." Vlad's one word answer confused his two friends; he hadn't told them the last part of his dream.

"Fire?" Bryn said quizzically.

"You'll find out soon enough, I think." Vlad disclosed, he wasn't all that happy about he thought of it but it was bound to come sooner or later.


	7. Reconciliation

Chapter 7

Vlad was in his room listening to his mp3 player playing 'human racing' by Nik Kershaw, it was an eighties song but he was old fashioned in his sense of music. Ingrid barged through the door, without knocking as usual.

"Hey, you, dad wants you." Vlad hadn't heard a word of what Ingrid had said, he took his earphone out and looked at his sister with a blank face. She sighed and repeated what she had said; she wasn't as gentle with her voice as she had been previously, it was more of an annoyed tone now.

"Alright," Vlad stated sarcastically. He got up from his bed and left his mp3 player sprawled on the bed. Whatever his father wanted it must be important for he had sent Ingrid to retrieve him rather than use apparition. Vlad saw Ingrid give him a smirk as he pushed past her, out the door.

He was half way down the corridor, when he realized that he could've apparated to reach the great hall where his father was waiting for him. He closed his eyes and imagined the great hall and, sure enough, that was where he ended up. It disorientated him for a moment, he was still trying to get used to the motion of being able to arrive at your destination without so much as thinking about it.

"Arh, Vladimir, come here," Vlad obeyed his father's command.

"Wait, did you just apparate here?" the count had only just realized how his son had entered the room. Vlad nodded, almost frightened to say anything.

"What! My boy, he's becoming a true vampire!" Vlad cringed to hear his father mention that he was becoming more like a vampire; he was dreading the day that he would have to undergo the transformation on His sixteenth birthday, only three years from now.

"Dad!" Vlad muttered in annoyance.

"Now, Vladimir, I have been thinking, for the interest of yourself," this didn't sound good. When the count started with 'I have been thinking' it usually turned out for the worst at least it always seemed to for Vlad.

"That it is time to reduce the amount of breathers that come into the castle, you are becoming a vampire you cannot have breathers round you 24/7 it is just not ethical. From now on Robin and Bryn are forbidden to enter the castle."

"But dad…" Vlad began but was silenced by the gesture of the count's hand. He had anticipated it to be bad news but not this devastating. It was like his family were ganging up on him, taking away the only thing that he looked forward to after school, the only thing that had actually enjoyed doing in the dismal castle.

And he wasn't looking forward to telling Robin and Bryn, Robin loved coming in to the castle, it was like his dream come true when he first stepped through the threshold, and Bryn loved the fact that you could so easily get away from people, seclude yourself from the civilised world for an hour or two.

Vlad put his head in his hands, now he knew why Ingrid had been smirking, she was thrilled that their father had forbidden him to see his friends; she hoped that she would get noticed as the worthy child who was always doing the right thing. Unknowing was she that the obedient, well-behaved child was the one who was more likely to be ignored.

The next morning Vlad met Robin outside his house (in fact he was about to knock when the front door opened and he almost fell in,) Looking very forlorn and depressed as he tried to think of a kind way to say that he was forbidden to enter the castle again. He didn't say it right there and then, he was waiting until they met Bryn then he could get it over and done with in one go. But Bryn was ill and wasn't going to school that day, so he would have to repeat himself when Bryn was back.

"Look I don't know how to say this but my dad thinks it's time to reduce the amount of breathers entering the castle; he told me that you and Bryn are not allowed to enter the castle."

Robin looked at him expecting him to say 'only joking' or something but he was silent.

"You really mean it?" Robin stated, it sounded more of a question to Vlad.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Robin took a deep breath in unsure what to say next. Luckily the bell saved him and the incident was forgotten, well almost forgotten, until the end of the day.

"Hey! Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." Vlad said it was a very awkward moment for them. Every day since they had met, they had gone, after school, to the castle and spent at least an hour doing something interesting. This was the first time either of them had gone their separate ways at the end of the school day.

"No, I'm not here tomorrow, it's me brothers' birthday's and mum promise she would take us all to London. So yeah we're going to London." Robin told Vlad, seeing the expression of sadness across his friend's face, he attempted to cheer him up slightly.

"Come on, Bryn'll be back tomorrow so you won't be lonely. It's not your fault that we can come to the castle, it's the Count's and to be honest mate, I'm surprised he didn't say it earlier!" Robin placed a hand on Vlad's shoulder as Vlad glanced up smiling falsely so Robin would at least think that he was ok with the situation, although inside him he was feeling the complete opposite.

He lingered for a while after Robin had moved away down the path towards his home. He watched as his friend dodged the other school kids and how they recoiled back when they saw who was trying to get past them. Robin didn't seem a though he noticed this act, but then Robin wouldn't. And who could blame them for avoiding him? He did look marginally threatening in his black knee length leather jacket, with his hair swished to the side like he had it. If he had come from different circumstances Vlad may have been one to think that Robin was ominous but Vlad had come to know that he was the complete reverse, it was just what he wore that put you off.

The next morning Vlad set off half towards Robin's house and then remembered the last conversation he had had with him and changed his course for Bryn's house.

He knocked on the door, Chrysantia opened it.

"Hi Mrs Nurson, is Bryn coming to school today?" Chrysantia Nurson opened her mouth to reply when she was rudely shoved out the way.

"Yes I am!" it was Bryn, her usual bubbly self.

"Bryn! Don't be considerate to your poor old mother!" Mrs Nurson said sarcastically, rubbing her side to give the impression that Bryn had hurt her. Bryn apologized and her mother gave her a kiss on the forehead telling her to be careful. She rolled her eyes at Vlad he smiled at her, waiting.

"So what was wrong with you yesterday?" Vlad asked now that the door was closed and they could begin the journey to school.

"Oh just a cold but you know how mum is… fusspot! Where's Robin?"

"London. The twin's birthday treat." Vlad informed her. Bryn nodded as if to agree. (Although why people do that is quite a mystery, it's like you agreeing to something when you obviously haven't heard it before or you wouldn't off asked!)

There was a moment of silence as they approached the school gate. Vlad couldn't bring himself to tell Bryn his bad news, 'not now' he thought 'I'll do it later'. But later never came.

It was the end of the day and Vlad found himself walking towards the castle with Bryn, he had quite literally forgotten about the new rule and never remembered until it was too late.

He and Bryn were in his room attempting a game of Ludo, Vlad was wining but Bryn was close behind him and about to take over. Vlad had the yellow counters and Bryn had the Blue counters. It was lucky that Robin wasn't there, he would have wanted black counters and this particular game only had the primary colours of red, green, blue and yellow.

Bryn checked her watch; she couldn't believe how time flew. She had been told very severely to be home before 5 o'clock and it was now almost half past. She jolted up knocking the board onto the floor, counters everywhere.

"What's wrong?" Vlad asked taken aback for she had moved so suddenly.

"I've got to go; mum said I had to be home at five, it's now half past! Sorry." She indicated to the mess she had just caused.

"It's alright I'll clear it up, you won't even know that you did it, apart from maybe finding a missing counter when we come to play it next!" if there was a next time. Vlad followed her to the door so as he could watch out for any sign of his father, for it was now that he realized that he never actually told Bryn the bad news and it didn't look as though he was going to tell her today anyway. They said their goodbyes quickly and Vlad opened the door to let her out.

He was just closing the door when he felt Ingrid's presence behind him.

"Was that your breather friend?" she asked threateningly.

"Don't tell dad. I just forgot to tell her, I will though." Vlad pleaded.

"Oh ok I won't tell dad." Vlad breathed a sigh of relief; maybe there was some element of kindness in Ingrid…

"DAD!"

Or maybe not. Ingrid's voice trembled through the castle walls, if the count had not heard that, then he was seriously going deaf. Within seconds after the call, the count had apparated behind his daughter.

"What is it?" the count asked wearily.

"Vlad let Bryn come into the castle." Ingrid smirked at her little brother; she was bound to get recognition for this.

"WHAT!" the count's articulated voice sent shivers down Vlad's spine.

"He let Bryn come…"

"Yes, yes I heard that bit. But Vladimir I thought we made an agreement."

"It wasn't really an agreement; it was more like an order." Vlad wondered whether he had been wise to say that.

"Silence, I need a moment to figure out what your punishment should be." There was a second of silence as they let the count think.

"Go to your room!"

"What kind of a punishment is that?" Ingrid complained.

_One that he was willing to take_. Vlad thought as he pushed past his sister carrying out his father's command.

Back in his room, Vlad slumped down by Zoltan –his pet, talking, stuffed wolf.

"Why does my family like to ruin my life?"

"Master Vlad, I'm sure they do not mean it like that." Vlad put his arm over the body of Zoltan. He loved Zoltan he had been the only thing that had been some sort of friend to him, before he had met Robin and Bryn.

"Master Vlad, I would appreciate it if you weren't to put your arm on me; my sawdust isn't as strong as it used to be." Vlad moved his arm and apologized.

"But Ingrid, she is never kind to me."

"Your sister is jealous of you, she always has been." Zoltan stated the obvious. It was getting dark and Zoltan suggested that it was time to go to bed or he would find it a hard task to get up for school the following day.

Robin was back and Bryn was feeling much better. Vlad met them at the corner of the road; apparently he had been later than usual. They walked the short distance to the school gate before they said anything. It was too early in the morning for talking.

"Sorry about yesterday, Vlad I didn't mean to be rude or anything." Bryn said reminding him of the unfortunate incident with Ingrid.

"What happened yesterday?" Robin asked, confused.

"Oh, I had to go quickly from Vlad's yesterday." Robin glared at Vlad.

"You let Bryn go into the castle, but I'm forbidden?" Robin said angrily.

"Look, I forgot to tell her…" Vlad started to defend himself and Bryn.

"Is it something to do with the way I dress, is it because I'm too much like your family?" Robin's Voice was very loud and fuming mad.

"No! I didn't mean it like that!" Vlad shouted but Robin had turned away from him and was walking towards his brothers who were turning away from him, ignoring him.

The bell rang before Vlad had a chance to go after him.

"OK what was that all about?" Bryn enquired as they walked into the classroom and sat in their usual seat. Robin came in behind them, but he sat in the empty seat near the front of the classroom, completely ignoring Vlad and Bryn's pleads for him to come back and sit with them.

"I was meant to tell you that my dad has forbidden you and Robin to enter the castle" Vlad told her. "I just couldn't bring myself to say it to you."

Break time was just the same, Robin tried to go over to his brothers but they ignored him and pretend he was no relation to them at all, and Vlad and Bryn went to the usual bench spot, wondering when Robin would actually realize that he had only two friends and come running back to them.

He never came back, it seemed as though he was very determined to keep up with his side of the argument, even if it meant not talking to either of them.

Lunch time came, eventually and Vlad and Bryn got their lunches and sat opposite each other on the only table with three seats. Robin came in to the dining hall carrying his black and red lunchbox, he walked up to the table and turned sharply away when he reached the table- it was as if he had forgotten momentarily of the argument but then suddenly remembered and turned to find another table.

Bryn sighed.

"I'm fed up with this." She got up, spun round to face Robin, who was about to sit at another table.

"ROBIN BRANNING!" Robin paused mid-step, it wasn't often he had his name yelled at him in a dining hall. Bryn stormed after him and dragged him back to the table and pushed him into the seat she had been sitting in. The whole school dining hall had fell silent, astonished that Bryn Nurson, the quiet, shy girl of the school, had just shouted across the hall.

Robin glared at Vlad. Bryn sat down in the empty seat, trying to look as inconspicuous as one can when they've just bellowed across the school hall.

"Alright, sort this out! I can't stand you two fighting!" Bryn told them, sliding her tray away from Robin's space. The three of them said nothing for a while. All of them were shocked at Bryn's outburst, Robin was still angry at Vlad, Bryn was trying to calm down and Vlad was trying to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

"Ok, why are you so angry at Vlad?" Bryn began the conversation, starting with 'ok' to calm herself after her shouting match.

"He told me that me and you weren't allowed in the castle anymore." Robin was still glaring at Vlad although he was addressing Bryn.

"Right, so the explanation for this…" Bryn looked at Vlad, hopefully.

"Look, I was planning to tell her all day, but it never came out and it seemed rude to say 'get out' when we'd only just got into the castle, I'm sorry Robin I know that there shouldn't be one rule for one and another for the other, when it comes to friends, but it was hard enough telling you." Vlad could understand why Robin was so angry at this, he and Bryn had been friends much longer then he had, they always kept the rule that they would never prioritize one friend over another. Vlad had agreed on this rule when he became friends with them and now he had just broken it. The subject didn't help the matter. The castle had been the place where they first met and had gone ever since, up till now.

"Yeah, I'm sorry mate; I did get a bit out of hand." Robin had stopped glaring at Vlad and was now staring at his ham sandwich, feeling slightly guilty of his actions.

"Are we all friends again?" Bryn enquired glad that they had finally apologized to one another.

"Yeah." Robin said taking a bite out of his sandwich and giving Vlad an apologetic look.

Vlad smiled at him to show that he wasn't that angry with him.

"Yeah." Vlad agreed.


	8. Thirsty for blood!

Chapter 8

The count was lounged on the throne like seat, listening to his son's pledge.

"Look, dad, I can see why you've told me not to bring my friends up here but I can't not be with them, I almost lost Robin over this. I know you can't see how I can be around breathers but they are my friends and they mean a lot to me, more then you could ever understand, so if you are still saying they can't come here then I will be out of the castle more to be with them." The count shifted his casual position to face his son. The aura of seriousness surrounded him and it worried the count. He couldn't be letting his only son wonder the streets of Stokely, what if something happened to him, what if a slayer got hold of him? He wasn't having it.

The count gasped a scent of something he knew very well, he lifted his head following the direction.

Robin and Bryn were watching through the stack of shelves near the kitchen door. Robin, being significantly taller than Bryn, was leaning over her, peering out of a higher shelve. They were waiting either for a signal from Vlad to tell them it was ok or another signal telling them that it was time to run.

Vlad watched his father as he stood up, sniffing the air with relish. He awaited with anticipation at what the count's next move would be, by the way his father was reacting Vlad was uncertain that the one promise he kept with him would be retained. The count took several steps in the direction of the shelves; Vlad gave Robin and Bryn a nod in the direction of the front door.

Getting the hint, Bryn began moving but found she had been penned in by Robin. She hissed at him to move, he shook his head and unpinned Bryn. They sneaked round the perimeter of the room trying to keep in the shadows. They didn't get far. The count appeared in front of them, his cape draped over his outstretched arms with his hands tensed in a claw like position, his teeth showed clearly the two fangs that where rarely visible during the day. Robin and Bryn froze, Bryn had grasped Robin's arm in fright, Robin was gazing at the count in awe, despite the well-known fact that he was supposedly about to be drained of his entire blood supply.

Vlad saw this coming, he ran up to his father attempting to pull his arm down and avert his eyes away from his could-be prey.

"Since you disobeyed me, you shall pay the consequences!" the count's eyes flared, their normal dark brown colour had been replaced by a fiery red shade. He lunged towards Bryn; Robin pulled her away from his grasp but toppled over, Bryn landing on awkwardly on top of him. The count lunged towards them as they struggled to get up; he was close, very close, so close that even Robin was a little scared. Robin pushed Bryn off him and away from the count's menacing fangs, scrunching his eyes shut he waited for his neck to feel the puncture of the two pointy sharp teeth. He waited in vain. Vlad had pushed his bloodthirsty father into the hard stone wall, the red had faded from his eyes and returned to their usual colour but the fangs still remained.

Vlad rushed over to help Bryn up. Robin still lay there attempting to overcome the near death experience.

"Wow!" He emitted, not sure whether he was depicting his relief or whether he was depicting the absolute thrill that was running through his body like lightning.

"Are you both alright?" Vlad asked very worried that his father may have hurt them.

"Yeah, if I can get up!" Robin said his muscles had completely gone with fright and pushing himself back up was proving a task and a half.

Bryn half dragged herself up wanting to help Robin as he had just helped her, as she moved towards him she caught her leg on a loose nail in the floorboards, it made her stand up to her full height for the cut was stinging considerably and when she looked at it she understood why; it was bleeding.

One drop of blood splashed on the floor, it was enough.

The count caught the whiff of the sweet scented smell of human blood, he arose quickly his mouth drooling as he aimed for Bryn. Vlad acted fast, he grabbed hold of Bryn's hands and thrust himself in front of her.

"Get out of the way, boy, let me have her!" the count shouted in Vlad's face.

"NO, you can't have her. She is a friend not food." Vlad spat the words in his father's face, although he didn't react.

"Vladimir, I have been deprived of food for a whole week, why won't you let me have her!" his eyes showed his desperation for a taste of Bryn's blood. But Vlad showed adamancy within his own eyes telling the count that he was by no means going to feast today.

The count seized the nearby stool and threw it on the floor, smashing it to pieces. He let out a loud growl while stomping off angrily to some part of the castle where his strong sense of smell could not catch the scent of human blood.

All three of them let out a sigh of relief; they had all seriously believed that the count was going to feast on at least one of them.

Vlad pulled Bryn's arms around him, holding her hands extremely tight to give him reassurance that she was still there behind him, that his father had not harmed her in any way. Bryn placed her head on Vlad's left shoulder as she was being pulled closer towards him, she had been completely mortified by the whole experience and now it was a great release to be able to relax again.

"Hey." Robin said gently so as not to intrude on the moment, just make it clear that he was still in the room.

"Ugh, what are you doing?" Ingrid had been standing at the doorway for a considerable amount of time unnoticed in the shadows, she had watched her father as he lunged for Bryn and she had hope that the count would have succeeded, but was disappointed.

Bryn and Vlad let go of each other, looking rather sheepish. They hadn't been aware that the position they were in looked wrong. Ingrid moved out of the shadows, into the main area of the room.

"So you managed to make dad, loose his lunch, well done!" Ingrid said this very sarcastically giving the three a very annoyed look.

"Now he's going to be in a mood for the rest of the day!" Ingrid shouted at Vlad as she turned abruptly, her hair falling back into place as she left the room.

Vlad looked at Robin and Bryn with sorry eyes.

"Sorry."

"Hey, no need to apologize, it's your father that should be apologizing, he was the one who was about to drain my blood!" Robin said, touching his neck where he almost had two holes inserted into him.

"Robin, thank you," Bryn said, throwing her arms around his neck.

"No problem, but I think I give the biting bit a miss next time!" Robin told her returning the hug.

"You mean you don't want to be a vampire anymore?" Vlad asked, thinking that Robin had finally learnt what was best for him.

"Well I don't want to become a vampire that way, but if you've got another way of doing it I'll be glad! And I'm not living with your dad!" they laughed. Vlad guided them to the exit, feeling like it was time for them go before his father came back. He put his arm around Bryn's shoulders as he guided her out the door, he had sensed that she was affected by the events of the afternoon and was trying to comfort her. Robin was quite fine with the events, he had been waiting for the moment when the count would show his hunger, he was a little surprised that he had been after his blood but that was vampires for you!

Bryn felt quite proud of her best friends, they had both protected her, Robin had been almost killed because he had tried to save her and Vlad had stood up to his hunger filled father in order to shelter her.

Robin felt invigorated by the whole incident. It overwhelmed him; it had always wondered what happened when a vampire lost control of his hunger, now he knew!

Vlad sighed as he closed the door; he let his head rest on the wooden panel. He was right to suspect that his father was not going to keep his promise. He just wasn't prepared for it to go that far. Vlad moved sluggishly towards his bedroom, but he was stopped by Ingrid.

"And what were you doing back there, with Bryn?" Ingrid interrogated her little brother.

"Leave me alone, Ingrid." Vlad said attempting to push past his sister; she put her arm out, stopping him for going anywhere.

"What's going on Vlad?"

"SHUT UP INGRID! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ingrid could do nothing but drop her arm and let him past. Vlad shouting was enough to scare anyone and not because it was the slightest bit scary but because he never shouts. His voice echoed through the corridor, he left it in there when he shut the door of his bedroom.

He contemplated on the events that had just happened, how he had felt when he pulled Bryn's arms around him and she didn't take them back but placed her head on his shoulder seemingly liking the experience as much as he did. How did he feel? How did he feel towards Bryn? He wasn't entirely sure but he knew it was something special. Except now Ingrid knew his feelings or at least witnessed the incident and could have a very good guess at how he felt.

Later on in the evening, Bryn lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. She was trying to collect up her feelings, so she could make sense of them. It was hard. She didn't quite understand what she felt. Something. Something was there when she was with Vlad, she just wasn't sure what. Now the occurrences in the castle had confused her; both her friends had been willing to risk something for her.

Robin lay amidst his collection of ornaments –they were mainly small statues of skulls and other gothic looking stuff. His room was completely surrounded by anything and everything that looked or reminded him of vampire's. His bedspread was covered with tiny bats coloured in black and red, the walls had been painted a dark shade of crimson, even his wardrobe was painted black with his many creepy, but amazingly brilliant, drawings pinned onto it. He had been thinking about how close the count had come to biting him and speculated on what it would have felt like if he had actually been bitten. 'Exhilarating' he thought. It then occurred to him that if he hadn't of pushed Bryn away, she would have probably actually have been bitten. He wasn't sure whether he was slightly peeved that she had come closer than him to have really been bitten, or whether he was proud of himself to have had the incentive to get her out the way before it was too late. 'In a way' he thought 'I suppose performed an act of self-sacrifice'.

_Author's note: please review otherwise chapter nine might not come on here. Come on just two more reviews from someone different then the usual (Although don't let that put you off ElizaJay or emarldstarforever!) just to tell me that there are more people reading this! _


	9. An Information leakage

_Well for the one extra person who reviewed despite me asking for two more reviews and emarldstarforever here is chapter nine._

**Chapter 9**

School. Robin loathed the word. To Vlad it was fairly new (his first experience of it had only been 3 years ago) and to Bryn it was just one of those things that you had to do before becoming an adult.

"Robin Branning will you please take that jacket off and wear the correct uniform as you are supposed to!" Robin rolled his eyes as the head teacher walked by them, pausing to make sure he did as he was told. Grudgingly he peeled his leather jacket off and folded it neatly in his bag.

"And where is you blazer?" the head teacher had it in for him this morning!

"What? I don't 'ave one" Robin had been wearing his leather jacket instead of his blazer for so long now he didn't remember if he had actually ever owned a blazer.

"Don't have one! Well your mother will be hearing about this when I make a phone call home!" with that the head teacher walked off, to her office no doubt to make that phone call to Robin's mum. As soon as the she was out of sight, Robin pulled his jacket back out from his bag and shoved it back on.

"Rebel!" he heard his little sister say behind him. Chloe was, of course, in correct uniform, looking as neat and tidy as she could get. She squeezed in between Bryn and Robin, Robin wasn't particularly happy with this; he hated it when his sister tried to join in with their conversations.

"Mum's gonna kill you when she finds out!" Robin ignored Chloe's comment turning his head in the opposite direction.

"I'm sure she's not going to kill him Chloe!" Bryn said.

"Not like my dad, who would!" Vlad muttered it was a little more audible than he would have liked. Chloe looked at him. She had heard the comment but didn't get it.

"What did you say?" Chloe asked.

"He didn't say anything." Bryn told her, looking as innocent as she could.

"Yeah he did something about his dad killing him." Chloe had heard what Vlad had said.

"After yesterday… I'm not surprised." Robin said carelessly forgetting that his sister was unaware of what the count was.

"Yesterday? What happened yesterday?" Vlad crossed his fingers hoping Robin wouldn't be stupid enough to tell her. But he was wrong. Robin explained what had happened to him the previous day.

"Robin, shut up." Bryn tried to hint at the fact that he was going way off the agreement regarding telling other people about Vlad's family being vampires. He didn't pay attention and carried on regardless.

"So you're telling me that the count is a vampire, really Robin, grow up!" Chloe moved her legs faster to get away from them but she stopped halfway.

"Wait, spooky castle, weird family, Vlad?" she turned slowly back around as realisation took hold.

Vlad gave Robin a glare and shrugged at him, it was one of those 'now look what you've done' type looks.

"Oh my gosh, you're… you're a vamp….vampire!" Chloe ran off in the opposite direction.

"Chloe, I'm not a vampire yet, not till I'm sixteen!" it was too late Chloe had gone and Vlad was not going to say that sentence any louder than he had just done. He turned to Robin, wide eyed waiting for an explanation. Robin in turn was looking at Vlad wondering what he was waiting for.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Bryn asked, as it seemed that neither of where going to say anything. "If that information got in the wrong hand who knows what the consequences could've been," Bryn concluded. Robin apologized but didn't see what all the fuss was about. It hadn't occurred to him that telling someone about that could be potentially dangerous for Vlad's family. What if it spread across the town? Not only would it be mortal embarrassment for Vlad as he went about his usual activities but if it reached the ears of slayers, there was a big possibility that his family would be staked.

"We've got to go after her!" Robin had finally grasped why they had sworn to keep the vampire part a secret.

They ran after Chloe, halting as they came to the door of the girl's toilets.

"We'll wait for you" Robin said indicating for Bryn to go in and find Chloe. She sighed and pulled the door open. The dark interior of the bathroom took a while to adjust in Bryn's eyes; the sun shone brightly outside but always failed to enter through the small windows of the school toilets.

"Chloe? Are you in here?" Bryn called into the darkness. She could just make out the silhouette of a young girl at the end sink. Her hair covered her face but it was unmistakably Chloe.

"Chloe? It's Bryn, are you alright?" Bryn advance slowly towards her not sure how she would react.

"Is it true? It's not just my brother messing about is it?" Chloe look very frightened her face pale against the harsh, dim light. Bryn shook her head in response.

"So Vlad is a vampire, a real live vampire?"

"He's not fully a vampire until he's sixteen and I wouldn't call them live."

"So what Robin said, what happened yesterday, it actually happened, the count tried to eat you and my brother?"

"Not eat, drink but yeah it happened." Bryn felt extremely calm as she said this despite the flashbacks of the count's fire red eyes glaring at her, his mouth drooling, after her blood, reoccurring in her head.

Vlad and Robin where leaning on the wall next to the girl's bathroom, waiting for someone to emerge from its door. Vlad was wondering whether they looked odd standing there. Robin didn't care; he had his right foot propped up on the wall, with his arms folded, surveying the field area like a young child enthralled by watching how the older children spent their lunchtime.

Vlad on the other hand was awkwardly leant on the wall, looking very subdued and worried. He had his hands behind his back, his feet crossed over and his head directed to the floor, waiting with anticipation for Bryn to come back with Chloe. He saw Ingrid walking towards them, surrounded by most of the year 11's. 'Great, that's all I need!' he thought as he straightened up to receive her.

Robin slid his right leg down the wall to join his left. His heart was beating faster as Ingrid approached. She stopped almost right in front of him, his eyes widened as he admired her very dark brown hair, it was wet from the spot of rain they had had earlier but it still looked as shiny and silky as it always did.

"So are you in a better mood today?" Vlad could feel his sister's warm breath on his cheek as she bent down, intimidatingly, to talk to him.

"What about you? You didn't seem yourself yesterday either." Vlad was quite proud of his comeback –it wasn't often he came up with ones that made the crowd oo at the fact that he had got one better than the other had. Ingrid refused to answer that question; instead she turned her nose up and looked the other way -To Robin.

"What are you looking at?" Ingrid asked trying to maintain her reputation for being mean.

"You, you're very pretty." Vlad couldn't believe his ears, what had Robin just said? Giggles came from the crowd; Ingrid gave him a look of disgust and walked very quickly away. Only to be almost smacked in the face as Bryn opened the toilet door.

"Oh, sorry!" Bryn said but would have gladly taken it back now she could see who it was.

"Oh it's you, I wish my dad had had you for lunch, maybe things would be different." With no explanation, Ingrid huffed off down the path.

Chloe had to gently push Bryn out the doorway for she had been taken aback with Ingrid's comment and had neglected to move. Bryn walked in slight daze to Vlad. Chloe tagged along behind her, she liked Bryn, she had decided, even if she did happen to hang out with two of the strangest boys in the school.

"Did you hear what Ingrid just said?" Bryn was confused at what she had done to provoke Vlad's sister to say such a remark.

"She saw it yesterday, now she blames you for changing my opinion about breathers." Vlad avoided eye contact with her as he hinted about what Ingrid had seen to make her believe that was true. Bryn guessed straight away what he was suggesting and was also trying to avoid his eye contact.

"What's it? Oh!" Robin answered his own question, a habit that kept cropping up.

Chloe was stuck in the lurch here and was wondering why she was still there with them. She hadn't a clue what they were on about because they were obviously talking in some kind of code.

"What are you lot talking about?" They all looked at Chloe, apparently unaware that she was still there.

"Ingrid saw Vlad holding…" Bryn had prodded Robin, making him stop before the whole thing came out. Chloe didn't really need much more to put two and two together and work it out for herself.

"So you're alright about me now?" Vlad asked Chloe happy to move the conversation onwards. Chloe nodded.

"Good." Vlad said.

Robin and Chloe got home at 6 o'clock. They had taken Chloe to the castle, shown her around, made her swear that she would not tell anyone,( Vlad had made Robin retake this promise as a gentle reminder that he had to be more careful in future). Entering the living room, chatting away, the immediate reaction from their family concerned the seemingly new relationship between the siblings.

Robin was actually getting on well with his sister and she him. It had been nice to talk openly about his experiences in the castle, he'd never been able to do that with anyone else because generally whatever happened to him in the castle happened to Vlad and Bryn.

"Robin, I had a phone call home regarding a certain misplacement of a blazer…" Elizabeth Branning had received the headmistress' phone call; it had confused her slightly as she had got so used to seeing her son wear his favourite leather jacket, that she had barely noticed that he never wore his school blazer.

"Yeah about that… I don't think I own one!" Robin said this so light-heartedly that his mum could not help but laugh.

Spending half an hour searching in his wardrobe for any sign of the school garment that he was missing, they came to a conclusion; he didn't own a blazer.

"Well at least you have an excuse for wearing your jacket now!" Mrs Branning exclaimed she tapped her hand on her son's shoulder. She wasn't that worried that Robin hadn't got the right school uniform, she could remember how she had refused to wear her blazer when she was Robin's age.

Robin was relieved that he didn't have to wear a blazer to school; he loved his jacket and was not going to replace it with a stupid non gothic school garment.

_Ok I'll try again, please can I have two more reviews from some one different, pretty please or you won't get the excitement of the following chapters (believe me that are getting exciting, even I'm excited and I'm come up with the ideas!)._


	10. The unexpected visitor

Chapter 10 

Lyden had come home just in time for Bryn's 14th birthday; he had finished his college course and now was on holiday until he could find a decent job.

"They've been very quiet up there, Lyden could you go and check on them?" grudgingly Lyden got up from the comfort of the armchair, to carry out his mother's request. He climbed the stairway towards his sister's room. Quietly Opening the door, he smiled at the sight he saw before him, all of them where fast asleep. Bryn had her arm over Vlad, he had his arm round her neck and Robin had his head on Bryn's shoulder. On their laps sat a large photo album, showing pictures of when they were younger, of Robin and Bryn when they had been on the beach in year 5, of Vlad with them on Bryn's 11th birthday and birthday's after that, right up to their holiday the year before.

Lyden took inspiration from the photo album and went to find his camera. He took a sneaky picture of them before getting his mum and dad to come and see.

"What's wrong?" Lyden had made his mother worried.

"Are Robin and Vlad meant to be sleeping over?" Mrs Nurson looked worriedly at her son, what was he on about? Lyden guided his mother into his sister's room. She turned her worried face into a smiley one as she observed her sleeping daughter and her friends.

"Arh, they must be worn out from their trip this morning, all the way up to London art exhibition and back again is a long way you know!" Chrysantia whispered to Lyden. She tiptoed into the room and removed the photo album from their laps and placed it neatly on the sideboard.

"I'd hate to wake them up, I'll phone Elizabeth see if she'd mind if Robin stayed over, maybe she has the count's number too." Chrysantia closed the door behind her, pushing Lyden away from her, warning him not to disturb them.

The next morning, they awoke feeling a little embarrassed at how they had fallen asleep.

Lyden had kindly packed three lunches for them. His mother had moaned that he was allowed to stay if he didn't help out around the house, so he chose the easy option of preparing the food. Vlad was looking forward to lunch it would be the first time he had had a decent filling in his sandwich and extra things like crisps that he rarely got to indulge on.

They met Chloe at the gate, she had been waiting for them wondering why Robin hadn't come home the previous night, (Elizabeth received the phone call but neglected to tell anyone other than her husband what Chrysantia had said). She ran up to them and demanded to know where Robin had been.

"Calm down, I was at Bryn's house alright?" Robin hadn't expected to be interrogated so early on in the morning. Chloe realized she had been a little harsh for the first words she said to her brother and went slightly quiet.

"Hey you, dad is going to be so mad when he sees you!" Ingrid had reached the gate where they were standing.

"I bet he didn't even notice I was gone!" Vlad said this purely to see the reaction he got, not because he thought his dad wouldn't miss him.

"Notice you were gone! He's ecstatic with worry! It's been horrendous living with that for a day!" Vlad was far from sympathetic for Ingrid; he was actually quite pleased that she had had to put up with that, maybe she would understand how he felt sometimes when she was irritating towards him.

"Why didn't you come home last night?"

"I don't think it's any of your business, is it!" Ingrid took this a sign to leave and spun round so sharply her bag almost knocked Chloe over, Bryn had to steady her before she did end up on the ground.

Chloe noticed that Robin hadn't stopped staring at Ingrid since she had come into view. she waved an arm in front of his face to get his attention.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh he's had a crush on Ingrid since god knows when!" Bryn told Chloe. Chloe opened her mouth to speak but closed it because she was too shocked to say anything.

Robin didn't know why but he hadn't felt the same when he looked at Ingrid, yeah she was pretty he knew that, but there was something that hadn't felt right, he didn't feel attracted to her that much anymore. Maybe he was losing interest because she never paid any attention to him, but that hadn't stopped him before.

Vlad grabbed the table, it was different one then they had sat on last year because Chloe had taken the habit of dinning with them and they now need four seats rather than the usual three. Eagerly Vlad zipped open the green lunchbox that Lyden had used when he had gone to the same school; he had ham in his sandwiches a novelty for him!

Robin came swiftly in and plonked himself on the chair next to Vlad, he was closely followed by Bryn and Chloe.

Bryn opened her lunchbox cautiously; she hardly ever had packed lunch and was not overconfident that Lyden would have put in her preferred sandwich filling and the right flavoured crisps. She was surprised to find that he had made her favourite cucumber sandwiches and cheese and onion crisps. At the bottom of her lunchbox there was a rectangle white bit of card, Bryn slid it out and turned it over slowly.

"Oh my gosh, I am so going to kill Lyden when I get home!" For a joke, Lyden had placed the photograph that he had taken the previous night in Bryn's lunchbox as he had packed it in the morning.

"What's that?" Robin asked, intrigued by the shape of it. She showed Robin the picture; Vlad saw it too, over Robin's shoulder.

"Don't go showing that around school! You'll get teased for sure!" Chloe had seen it as Robin passed it back to Bryn. Bryn put it in her bag and carried on eating her lunch.

Maths homework was spread across the long table that stretched through the majority of the grand hall. Vlad sat on the end seat surrounded by his text book and the maths homework. Bryn sat to the left of him, opposite the seat which should have contained Robin, but he had got distracted and had wondered off to admire the décor.

"Do you want help with this maths or not?" Bryn asked Robin who was walking behind her dragging his hand along the wall.

"It's not that hard when you understand how to do it!" Vlad told him. Despite the fact that Vlad had not learnt the basics of maths at the same time that Robin and Bryn had, he seemed to grasp the theory of it very well, better then Robin could but then that wasn't hard as he never bothered to try.

Robin walked ever so slowly back to his seat and sat down. Shouts could be heard coming from the entrance.

"Did you hear that?" Robin asked, he got very easily distracted when he was meant to be doing maths.

"GET OUT, YOU ARE NOT STAYING HERE MAGDA!" the count's voice bellowed through the walls.

They stopped doing what they were doing to listen as a pair of high heeled stilettos made their way loudly to where they were sat.

"MUM!" Vlad exclaimed as his mother dressed in her fur coat, walked calmly through the door. Vlad stood up pushing his chair about a metre away from him.

"Darling! And how's my little Vladimir?" Vlad didn't say anything he was too shocked at the sight of his long unseen mother.

"That's your mum!" Robin said completely transfixed by the appearance of Magda.

The count stormed in, his cloak flared out with the air that he had generated by opening both doors to the great hall.

"Magda! GET OUT!"

"Oh darling won't you let me stay for at least the night?" the count was won over, he left the room in the same style he had entered it.

Magda turned to her son, who was still standing, shocked.

"I see, you've been keeping busy and who are these two?" she pointed towards Bryn and Robin. Moving closer towards Robin who was still transfixed to her, Robin's eyes followed the slender, pale hand as it fell lightly onto his shoulder.

Vlad removed his mother's hand off his friends shoulder.

"These are my friends, this is Robin and this is Bryn." Vlad moved Bryn forwards as he said her name, but he didn't let her get to close to his mother.

"They're friends not food."

"Oh Vlad do you really think I would do that?" Vlad was convinced that she would.

"Now where is my Ingrid?" Magda sat down in Vlad's seat, she examined the work that they had been attempting to complete, she had never seen or tried to do maths and the amount of numbers on the page confused her.

"What is this?" Vlad had to explain that it was homework and that he and Ingrid had to go to school. He didn't mention that he was the one who had wanted to and made sure they had to go to school. He had wanted to learn and it was an ideal opportunity.

Bryn glanced at her watch, six o'clock the usual time that she and Robin would leave. This was the time when the sky began to get darker and the count would prepare for his midnight feasting. Pulling her bag from under the table she carefully closed the maths book, with the homework marking the page, and shoved it in her bag. It wouldn't go in so she shook the bag violently, making the photo Lyden had took, fall out her bag unnoticed by her eyes but noticed by Magda's.

"It's six o'clock Robin, time for us to leave." Robin seemed annoyed by this and reluctantly grabbed his own school bag, stuffed the maths homework untidily in it and waited for Bryn so they could leave together.

Bryn slung her bag over her shoulder, hugging Vlad goodbye as she went past him towards the door.

"Nice meeting you countess." Bryn addressed Magda very formally for she felt uncomfortable around her.

"Very nice meeting you," Robin added not wanting to go out of the room.

"A pleasure meeting both of you," Magda replied. Vlad knew she didn't really mean it, she was probably wishing that he were out of sight so she could feast on them; he have to be careful not to leave them alone in the castle while his mother visited.

When they were out of sight and Vlad had gone elsewhere in the castle, Magda bent down and picked up the photograph that Bryn had left behind. She was shocked to see its contents and almost threw it in to the fire but something stopped her.

"What has happened to our children?" Magda asked her husband.

"Happened? Why? Vladimir's fine and… and Ingrid."

"You allow them to bring breathers into the castle; it is not good on Vlad, especially not that girl."

The count replied with a simple 'yes' and walked away trying to avoid the comment, he knew something that would shock his wife, it had shocked him when he had realized it and although he hated Magda he didn't want to injure her emotions by telling her.

"Darling!" it was more of a command then a word of affection. The tone of voice was one, which when they had been together had been used when she knew he wasn't telling the truth. The count turned.

"Is there something you aren't telling me?" Magda knew how to persuade her husband to tell her something. She would just put a sweet, but menacing look upon her face and within seconds he had told her.

"Alright but you're not going to like it!" the count indicated for her to sit down. The count pulled out a chair and Magda seated herself neatly on top of it.

"Vladimir's already gone into the damiric state…"

"What and I missed it!"

"Wait there's more. It was weird. Didn't follow the usual Dracula way, he didn't have his father as his mentor or his sister for the victim."

Magda frowned, taking in what the count told her.

"Then who was it?"

"His friends; Robin was the mentor and Bryn the victim." Surprisingly Magda wasn't as shocked as the count had assumed she would be. She slid, out of her bag, the photograph that Bryn had left lying on the floor. She placed it on the table in front of the count.

"So that explains this then." The count glanced at the photo. He cringed at the sight of his son and his friends looking so peaceful and cute, lost deep in sleep.

"Where did you find this?"

Magda explained that it had fallen out of Bryn's bag as she had left the room.

"I'm getting worried; I think that Vladimir needs to be separated from this Bryn." Magda agreed, hiding the grin she had, quite obviously, all over her face. It had been her plan all along.

Ingrid slipped into the great hall; she had heard the conversation, listened intently as her mother's plan came to life, through her father's actions. Ever so quietly Ingrid crept towards them hoping to catch what the count planned to do. But apparently she did not possess the quality of being able to make her footsteps completely silent for both her parents heard her and beckoned her to join them.

"Ingrid, darling, how are you?" Magda emphasized the word darling much more then she had for Vlad and the count.

"Much better now that you're here mum!" Ingrid hugged Magda but she shook her off, vainly trying to keep her hair in tacked.

"Do you think you could do something for your dear mother?" Magda tapped the chair next to her, signifying for Ingrid to sit down.

The conversation lasted well into the night. Vlad slept soundly in his bed unaware that the rest of his family were plotting against him, down the stairs in the candlelit great hall.


	11. backfired, failed

Chapter 11

"Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that Ingrid's been everywhere we've been?" Bryn enquired after spotting her again near the bench that they spent their break time on.

"And she's been extremely nice." Chloe added remembering how different she had found Ingrid had been to Bryn when they had a run in with her, outside the girl's changing rooms.

"Maybe she's finally come to be nice!" Robin said innocently. Chloe and Bryn looked at each other; there was no chance that Ingrid was going to be nice to them, unless she had something evil planned for them.

"What? Ingrid's being nice to you!" Vlad could hardly believe his ears. Bryn and Chloe nodded, Robin shook his head.

"Ok, so she's being nice to you two, but not Robin." Vlad was attempting to think like his sister so he could figure out why she was acting odd around Bryn and Chloe but being her usual, mean, self around him and Robin. It was true that Bryn and Chloe seemed to be going round the school together a lot more than they used to, but that was a good enough reason for Ingrid to be nice to them.

Unless she meant it for only one of them and if she did and it was the person Vlad thought it was meant for, then he would be glad because maybe, just maybe Ingrid had learnt to respect his best friend, for there had been no immediate reason why she should've been mean to her in the first place. Robin, he could understand, for he acted like a small puppy around her, always aiming for attention but receiving none.

They assembled on the bench anyway despite Ingrid being there. Speaking loudly they discussed how ugly they thought Ingrid was, (they did this on purpose to see how long she could put up with hearing it!) sure enough about two minutes into the conversation Ingrid had walked off, annoyed. They all broke out into fits of giggles, to think how successful that had been!

It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon when three sodden friends arrived at the castle door (Chloe would go home after school because she didn't like staying in the castle for very long; it gave her the creeps). Vlad pushed the door ajar –it was just enough for them to slip through but no more.

"Seriously Vlad, you've got to persuade your dad to get electricity fitted in here, I can't see a thing!" Bryn exclaimed through the darkness.

"Yeah, working on that!" Vlad called back vaguely aware of Bryn's whereabouts.

Bryn felt a cold hand clamp round her mouth as she was dragged backwards, unable to scream, she couldn't get Robin or Vlad's attention as they walked through to the great hall, the door shutting behind them.

The great hall was dimly lit but it was enough to see everything that was situated in the room, or that wasn't.

"Where's Bryn?" Vlad asked he had turned round to face both his friends but found that only one was standing in front of him. Robin looked behind him convinced that Bryn had followed him in.

"I don't know," both boys eyed each other, worried.

Bryn found herself pinned to the stone wall. She was too much in a state of bewilderment to be sure of what part of the castle she was in. Right now she was more concerned at why she was being pinned to a wall.

"Next time, you leave my brother alone; you've done something to him, made him change." Ingrid spat the words un-thoughtfully in Bryn's face. Bryn was speechless, not understanding how Ingrid could rightly lay the blame on her when it was Vlad's own decision to change his attitude towards breathers, nothing to do with her influencing him.

"Well, SAY SOMETHING!" Ingrid shook Bryn violently, hitting her head hard against the solid brickwork that made up the walls of the castle. Bryn's body fell limp into Ingrid's arms; the impact on her head had made Bryn faint. Ingrid released her arms away and watched as Bryn slumped to the floor.

Ingrid took several steps away from her crime, not really thinking about what she'd done. She chucked her hands angrily in front of her; letting out an ear-piercing scream of anger. Sparks flew out her hands, making a semicircle of fire around the spot where Bryn lay motionless.

Ingrid stared at her hands unbelieving. She was beginning to receive her powers, after all this time of waiting! Running out of the room Ingrid went in search of her mother to inform her that the deed was done and that she had gained some of her vampire-given powers.

Vlad had the only powerful torch that his family owned, in his hand as he searched through the darkness. He and Robin had searched the castle, starting from the small hallway that served as an entrance room. There was two other possible ways that Bryn could have gone, one led to the tower and the other led to the dungeon. Having already searched the tower and found nothing; Robin and Vlad took a deep breath as they headed down to the dungeons.

Robin was extremely glad that they had managed to find the torch, dungeons where scary as it is without it having to be in entire blackness. As they reached the end of the winding staircase they found they no longer needed the torch for there was a bright light coming from one of the cells. Vlad switched the torch off, not wanting to waste the battery when there was sufficient enough light for them to see where they needed to.

Cautiously Robin poked his head into the cell which was generating the light; his face was greeted by a hot gust of wind as the fire continued to burn. Vlad entered the room with much less caution then Robin had taken, the heat hit him square on but he continued into the cell, mystified at how the perfect semicircle of fire could have begun. He looked deeply into the flames; he admired the bright colours: the oranges, the reds and the yellows, but something more important lay behind the bright array of colours.

"Bryn! Oh my god! How the hell did this happen?" Robin took the words straight out of Vlad's mouth. He had come up behind Vlad and had spotted her at exactly the same time as he had.

"Water, get water!" Vlad told Robin hurriedly. Robin headed straight for the door, pausing for only a moment while he asked for the torch. Vlad chucked it to him and Robin caught it neatly in his right hand –he could catch when things depended on it!

Vlad examined the height of the flame, experimentally holding out his hand to be in line with the flame. He could do it. If he put his mind to it, he could jump the height of that flame. Vlad lifted his leg over the blaze, taking one deep breath in, he jumped.

He had singed the bottom of his trousers and burnt the skin on his ankles but he was alright. Rushing over to where Bryn lay, he tried to get her to respond but she had been unconscious to long. The fire was getting dangerously close to her arm, he had to do something. Sliding his arms underneath her body, Vlad was able to lift her into his arms.

Either she was extremely light or he was surprisingly strong; 'a bit of both' Vlad thought to himself as he faced the fire once again.

Robin had found a wooden bucket near the kitchen sink and was hastily trying to fill it up; the tap just didn't seem to be pouring enough water out to be able to fill at least half the bucket. Eventually the water started gushing out and the bucket was filled in no time. Swiftly turning the tap off, Robin turned towards the door.

Magda stopped him.

"Sorry countess, I didn't see you there." Robin's eyes fixed themselves to Magda's beautiful complexion.

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Magda took a strand of Robin's fringe in her hand, curling it round her finger. Robin followed the hand, wondering what she was doing but didn't dare ask. She was beautiful, that was all he could think about. Taking his eyes of her for one moment and glancing down at the water he held in the unstable wooden bucket, he was reminded of the fire, and the vision of Bryn lying helpless on the floor, vulnerable to the ring of flames that surrounded her filled his mind, wiping away any thoughts of Magda.

"Sorry, gotta rush!" Robin gently pushed past the countess, holding the bucket carefully in both hands. He didn't even reach the door from the great hall into the small entrance hallway.

Vlad appeared at the doorway. His face was red from the intense heat of the fire; he carried Bryn effortlessly to the table, where he placed her, delicately, on top.

Magda watched as her son took such great care over the unconscious girl. Her plan had failed. Backfired. Even her addition to the plan had failed; all three of them were still alive, all three of them closer than ever. Wrapping her long cloak around her, she apparated, unseen by anyone in the room.

"MAGDA OUT! YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING, YOU'VE MADE IT WORSE, AND I CAN'T STAND THE SIGHT OF YOU ANYMORE!" the count threw Magda's suitcase out the window, it landed with a thump on the gravelled path.

"But darling!" Magda protested but the count was having none of that. He grabbed Magda's arm and dragged her to the exit, pushed her out and slammed the door in her face. She was left with no choice but to pick up her suitcase and apparate back to her werewolf lover.

Back inside, the count turned to his daughter.

"Ingrid. Did you play a part in your mother's stupid scheme?"

"NO. It was all her idea! I didn't tell her to do it!" Ingrid skirted round the subject avoiding the original question.

"Ingrid. You made the fire ring; you must've, for your mother can only do lightning bolts –comes from her side of the family. My side of the family uses fire." The count looked at Ingrid expectantly; she had been caught out, no hiding from the truth now.

"Yes I did it." Ingrid crossed her arms and stared at her father defiantly. The count nodded sharply, patting her on the shoulder.

"Good, good. But next time go a little easier with the mortal." Ingrid had expected a big speech from her father about what she had done wrong and so was quite surprised when he came out with just that simple sentence.

Bryn lay in the hospital bed, wires all around her, her eyes still tightly shut. Vlad had been given a chair to sit on, (his burns had been bandaged up making it impossible for him to stand for longer than a few seconds) Robin had perched himself on the edge of the bed, his jacket splayed out over the white sheet.

Chrysantia and Paul Nurson had arrived and where standing on the other side of their daughter's bed. Lyden had arrived shortly after his parents and was leaning on the barrier at the end of the same bed.

Vlad reached over to move Bryn's hair away from her face, Chrysantia leaned over to do the same but Vlad beat her to it. Chrysantia locked gaze with Vlad, she could see the concern forming in his eyes and understood how he felt. Bryn stirred breaking Chrysantia's gaze and making her move it to her daughter.

Opening her eyes, Bryn found herself staring at the sparkling white ceiling. She tensed as anxiety took hold of her. Where was she? What had happened? Her gaze fell to her parents, they were smiling at her but she didn't smile back, she was confused. Following her gaze round her bedside to Lyden, he was also grinning, in the way that he always did when trying to make her cheer up. Why was he there? Why couldn't she remember? She continued her gaze round the rest of the bed, Robin had his head tilted, he knew she was confused but didn't understand why. Bryn paused, it was coming back to her, the castle, yes; they had been in the castle. What had happened there? She continued her eyes round the last part of the bed, Vlad sat, with his hands clasped on the bed, regarding her emerald green eyes with his own gentle gaze.

All at once everything came back to her, she remembered Ingrid shaking her, she remember how she had felt the heat radiate from the fire, she vaguely remembered hearing Vlad's voice as he tried to bring her round and very vaguely she remembered being lifted up into his arms, carried away from the danger of the flames.

Uncovering her left arm from the white sheet, Bryn leaned over to Vlad, her left arm slinking round his neck. She pulled him closer and kissed him on the cheek. Vlad blushed, Robin grinned and Lyden looked round for someone to say 'I told you so' to.

Paul Nurson put an arm around his wife's waist; she glanced up at him and smiled. Deep down inside they had known that their daughter would one day fall in love and they couldn't think of anyone better then one of her best friends.


	12. the swap

Chapter 12

The doctor's had kept Bryn in the hospital for the rest of that week, so they could perform the necessary check-ups needed to insure that Bryn was ok, That the knock to her head hadn't damaged part of her brain.

Instead of going to the castle, Robin and Vlad had come to the hospital bringing gifts for Bryn, Robin brought a box of chocolates but ended up eating them all himself as Bryn wasn't allowed to eat sugary things and Vlad disliked the certain brand that Robin had brought. Vlad brought some puzzle books for her to do when she got bored, this was a much more welcome gift then Robin's had been. They stayed until visiting time was over and they were forced out of the room by some of the nurses.

On Thursday, Robin took Chloe with him. She held in her hand a book, 'elsewhere' by Gabriella Zervin. Running towards Bryn's bed, Chloe held the book out to her. Bryn looked at it with disappointment in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry Chloe, I can't read it," Bryn glanced up at Chloe, sadness in her vivid green pupils.

"But I thought you wanted to borrow it," Chloe looked at the book wondering what she had possibly done to make Bryn reject her book. Bryn sighed.

"I do, but I can't…can't read it."

"What?" Robin said. He was conscious of the fact that Bryn never refused a book, he knew there was something wrong.

"It hurts." Bryn touched her forehead as she spoke. Vlad knew that that was where she felt the pain; he could almost feel it himself.

"Have you told the doctors?" Vlad asked moving closer towards her, concerned at what this new information could mean.

Bryn shook her head; she hadn't thought it was a worthy enough worry for the doctors to know about. She had assumed that it was all part of her ailment. According to Vlad this had been the wrong thing to do and the doctor had backed him up when Vlad had taken the courage to go and tell him.

"This could be serious and it was wrong of you to keep it from me, we doctors are here to help you get better you know!" Bryn felt intimidated by the doctor, he bent down so he was on her level and spoke to her as if she were a little child that he was having to teach right from wrong.

Vlad, Robin and Chloe were sent out of the room. The doctor was looking in to his patient's new complaint and could not have three other children at his feet while he undertook the investigation.

Robin took Chloe home and was persuaded by his mum to stay home rather than go rushing off to the castle. So, alone, Vlad entered his home.

"Finished visiting your little girlfriend then?" Ingrid asked the sarcasm coming through quite plainly.

"Oh Ingrid please." The count pushed her aside to receive his son, with open arms. Vlad took a step backwards, not sure what his father was playing at.

"Won't you give your father a hug? Fine. Come over here Vladimir I want to talk with you." The count put an arm around his son's shoulders guiding him over to the table. Vlad felt obliged to obey, it wasn't often he found his father acting kindly towards him and he didn't want to ruin it.

"Now, I want to know what happened when your sister got involved with that ghastly plot of your mother's, I've heard things that I'm pretty sure are complete lies." The count looked at Ingrid through the slits of his eyes as he spoke the last word. She sighed and left the room, there was no winning with her father, you could tell him a lie and he wouldn't believe you, tell him the truth and he still wouldn't believe you.

"This girl you're friends with…" the count began.

"You're not in love with her are you?" the count waited throughout the elongated silence, expecting Vlad to deny the statement and demand who had suggested the idea, then he could lay the blame on Magda and Ingrid, therefore wiping himself clean of any acknowledgement of the deed.

"Maybe." Vlad said quietly hoping that his father wouldn't be too mad at him.

"Maybe? So you do love her! Oh Vladimir how could you, my only son, in love with a breather! Oh, you've broken me, Vladimir, broken me!" Vlad just sat there speechless as he watched his father try to be all emotional.

"Why, why! I have the only son in the whole of Transylvania, who dabbles with breathers so freely, if only I could have a normal boy!" the count seemed to be creating his own monologue.

"Normal! I am reasonably normal, take Robin for example he's defiantly not normal, he suits my life better than I do!"

"Maybe he was meant to. Maybe he should swap with you, I think I'd rather have him as a son than one who falls in love so helplessly with breathers!" now Vlad was dumbfounded, never in his life had he expected to hear that coming out of his father's mouth.

"You don't mean that," Vlad said trying to make him take the comment back.

"What if I do?"

"Then I'll swap!"

"Fine! Swap!" the count stood up and regarded his son with little respect as he swished his cape round his body and turned to leave.

Vlad stayed sat in his seat unbelieving that he had even had that conversation with his father whom he had assumed would always love him no matter whether or not he did anything wrong. Taking his father's word literally, Vlad went to his room to start packing. Maybe if he actually did swap, the count would realize what he had said.

Grabbing his suitcase from underneath the bed, Vlad started to empty his wardrobe and put the contents of it in the battered, faded suitcase.

"What are you doing?" Ingrid asked standing at the threshold of the room.

"Packing, I'm swapping with Robin." Vlad didn't even look up when he spoke.

"Swapping! Does dad know?"

"He was the one who suggested it. So yeah I'm going to the Branning's and Robin can come here." Ingrid looked mortified at that the thought of Robin staying in the castle. Vlad felt somewhat happy that Ingrid would rather have him as her brother then Robin, it meant that she liked him at least enough to make her want to keep him in the family despite how much she was jealous of him.

"Cool! So I get to have your room, and your cape!" Robin was just a little too excited about the whole affair.

"Well don't get too enthusiastic, it isn't official yet and besides you'll be very lucky if you manage to get my room, Ingrid has her eye on that!" Vlad sounded calm about it but inside he was screaming, hoping that the count would bring him back before they actually undertook the swap.

It had felt weird; it had been the first time that they hadn't had Bryn with them for a whole week. It was just the two of them. They had taken the three seated table at lunch and always regarded the third chair as if Bryn was coming to join them, refusing people to take it when they asked if it was taken. Chloe sometimes joined them but she seemed to have ditched them now that Bryn wasn't with them, she didn't want to be seen with the two strangest boys in the school, not without someone sane with her.

"Are you sure your dad's alright with this?" Elizabeth Branning asked Vlad as he brought his suitcase into the house.

"Yeah, he's fine with it!" Vlad didn't want her to know that his father had basically sent him out the house, provoking the swap.

"Are you alright with Robin staying at the castle?" Vlad asked knowing how his own father, and Bryn's parents, would react to the thought. He would've been forbidden to leave the house and Bryn would've had a massive argument with her parents only to be grounded and sent to her room.

"Yes, it's fine. It'll be a change having you around permanently for a week and I'm sure Robin will enjoy himself!" That was what was worrying Vlad. He didn't want Robin to get too comfortable in his room. He knew he wouldn't get comfortable in Robin's room.

Robin had told his mother that they wanted to try swapping homes for a week; he told her that it was part of a school project for PSHE. If it went on longer than a week, he was relying on Vlad to come up with an excuse. They hadn't told Bryn about it –she was the one who would come up with good, valid excuses- because they knew that she would have told Vlad to stick up for himself, resulting in not doing the swap in the first place.

Putting his clothes in the wardrobe, Robin thought how exciting the week ahead was going to be. Living the castle was going to be heaven, as long as the count kept out of his way. Robin didn't want to have another near-death experience involving the count.

"So you've arrived have you?" Ingrid was passing the room and had noticed Robin unpacking his suitcase. She poked her head through the room. Robin didn't reply. He was trying to think about his attitude towards Ingrid; now that he knew that Ingrid had been the one to cause Bryn to be in the hospital, he had a bit of a dimmer view on her.

Luckily for him, Ingrid didn't linger long in the room and he was left in peace to sort out the rest of the suitcase. There wasn't much in the suitcase, enough to last him the seven days he was meant to be there. His mum had tried to help him pack, so he couldn't very well pack more then what his mum would consider enough for that week.

"Don't worry about Miss Ingrid, she's always like that!" Robin had completely forgotten Zoltan sitting in the corner of the room.

"Yeah I know, get it all the time at school! Hey Zoltan what's it like you know living in the castle? Vlad is always complaining, so I don't get any clue of how it actually is!" Robin bent down to talk to the stuffed wolf, it didn't feel at all odd speaking to a stuffed animal, to him it felt normal, right, like he was meant to be able to do it.

Vlad dumped the suitcase on Robin's bed. 'So this is what my room should look like!' He was aware that the whole room was decorated and filled with dark, gothic items, Items that a vampire like himself should possess. Robin must think his room to be rather strange considering, but then again he was probably quite taken up with the fact it was in the castle. He sat on the bed, looking around the room, far from admiring it, it repulsed him. Yet he was going to have to put up with for the rest of the week.

"Vlad? Was wondering when you'll arrive," Chloe had knocked on the door and simultaneously opened it.

"Well here I am!" Vlad said throwing his arms out indicating that he was defiantly in the room. Chloe moved into the room and perched herself on the end of the bed.

"So is it really for a school project, this swapping?" Chloe asked unconvinced that her brother had told the truth.

"No, I was kicked out. Dad wanted me to swap with Robin, but hopefully he'll come round, with a week of living with Robin!" Chloe laughed, Vlad smiled, what he had said had meant to be humorous but he didn't feel like laughing.

"Oh, gee, I hope Robin doesn't get eaten by your dad!" Chloe exclaimed.

Robin went down to the great hall, in anticipation for dinner. The count was already there and Ingrid was sitting at the table already slurping on the soup starter.

"Ah Robin, come, sit, eat." The count pulled out the chair next to him and Robin willingly sat.

"So how was your day?" The count asked Robin. Robin frowned; the count was acting as though he was actually his son. That Robin had permanently swapped with Vlad.

"Fine thanks dad." Ingrid replied.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to my new son!" the count scowled at Ingrid but smiled at Robin. Robin wasn't so sure about being the count's 'new son' he didn't want to take that right away from Vlad, and he kind of liked his own dad better. The count was great, right up his street, but there was nothing like your own family, even if they were the complete opposite of you.

They ate in practically absolute silence. The food was alright, considering this was Renfield's composition. Ingrid said little and as soon as she was finished she left the table, heading for the comfort of her own room. Robin felt vulnerable, now it was just him and the count. Anything could happen, if the count felt like it he could feast on him right there and then and no one would know until the morning but he seemed to be convincing himself that Vlad was no longer his son and that Robin was.

"How's life at my house?" Robin asked Vlad as they met on the journey towards school.

"Weird but good, how's the castle? Has my dad been ok, not tried anything?" Vlad enquired slightly worried about Robin being around his father for so long. He had asked Zoltan to look out for Robin but being stuffed and technically not alive it was a little difficult for him to properly carry out the task.

"Yeah it's good; the count's acting as though I'm actually his son! Hey are we going to visit Bryn this afternoon?"

Vlad was worried, his plan was failing, the count was enjoying Robin's company and not –as he had assumed he would- loathing it.

"Yeah we can go visit Bryn this afternoon, I'm sure she'll want company! And maybe she can help us sort out this problem."

"But I thought you said we weren't going to tell her," Robin stated confused at how quickly Vlad changed his mind.

"Yeah, well needs must!"

Bryn had her eyes closed as Robin and Vlad walked into the hospital. She had been told to rest but found that it was virtually impossible to do so in the middle of the day. Hearing them come nosily into the ward, smiling, she opened her eyes, staring at her two friends as they ambled up to her bed. She was extremely glad to see them, the long days spent bedridden had really bored her and her only escape was when she had an hour or two to talk to Robin and Vlad.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Robin said this very bouncily making Bryn's smile even wider than it already was.

"Ok, well sort of," Bryn dropped her smile. Vlad looked at her expectantly.

"The doctor's still looking into it." Bryn told them, she sighed wishing the doctor would give a straight answer to her rather than keep telling her that he was looking into it.

"Hey are you coming to the castle with me tonight?" Robin asked Vlad. The question had come from nowhere and therefore had taken Vlad with surprise.

"What? Er, no I don't think that's a good idea," Robin put on his sulky face when Vlad refused.

Bryn felt suddenly bewildered she looked at Robin and Vlad in turn, trying to un-jumble the facts in her mind.

"No, please don't tell me…" Bryn began, fright clear in her voice.

"Bryn, calm down, me and Robin have swapped," Vlad grabbed her hand feeling the fear running through her veins. Bryn had been struggling with her memory since the day Ingrid had caused her to faint, little things that she couldn't remember nagged at her making her stressed as she tried so hard to recall them.

"Swapped?" Bryn said. She had calmed down now; Vlad's touch had soothed her fright.

"Yeah, I'm living in the castle for a week and Vlad's living at my house for the week," Robin updated Bryn.

Seeing Bryn's confused look, Vlad proceeded to tell her the whole thing; starting from the initial conversation he had had with the count. Robin joined in with his side of the story, interrupting Vlad as he was halfway through a sentence. Both Bryn and Vlad gave him a hard stare, realizing what he done Robin apologized and went back to being a listener.

"Really, both of you! You didn't have to take his word literally Vlad. And Robin why didn't you stop it, you could've done something to prevent this happening, ever heard of persuading someone to do what's right?" Robin looked sheepish, in pure honesty he had been a bit too enthralled with the idea of living in the castle to think about persuading anybody about anything, let alone persuading Vlad to do something that would prevent him from staying at the castle.

"All you got to do now is prove that you are a vampire and that you are human!" Bryn pointed to Vlad and Robin, emphasizing her point.

"That shouldn't be too hard, Vlad you've got some of your powers," Robin said beginning to see how the idea would work.

"Go with Robin to the castle tonight…" Bryn gave them an idea, one that Robin was convinced would work and one that Vlad was unsure would actually work but trusted Bryn's initiative, her ideas generally worked.

They entered the castle, Vlad keeping close behind Robin. He was overconfident that his father would understand what he and Robin where about to do.

"Why is he here?" the count was sprawled over his throne-like chair, a goblet in his hand, taking small sips from it every now and again. Vlad stepped out from behind Robin; it was time to stand up to his father once again.

"Look dad,"

"Don't call me that!" the count roared.

Vlad glanced at Robin; Robin gave him a reassuring look and gestured for him to continue.

"Is this really necessary? I am your son, you can't go denying that, besides Robin is human, mortal, and you told me that you couldn't stand breathers."

Vlad moved back as the count arose from his seat. Anger was rising in the counts face. Vlad stood his ground as his father advanced towards him.

"No, I don't like breathers so you better get out!" The count articulated his words clearly so Vlad could hear the echo of each syllable bounced back off the bare stone walls.

"Why is it that you can change your mind so quickly and why do you have a habit of ruining my life?" Vlad shouted. He spun round intending to take his exit right then and there but the count apparated in front of him.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Vlad screamed he pushed his hands forwards, he had meant to push his father out the way but he misjudged how far away the count was and so instead of getting his anger out by shoving his father out the way, his anger came out in the form of fire from his palms.

The fire singed the count's cape, making him jump back in surprise. Stamping on the burning fabric the count managed to extinguish the unexpected fire. Vlad stared at his hands and then glanced up at his father. Surely this was enough 'evidence' to prove that he was a vampire. The count gave no reaction to it and Vlad, now fed up with being angry, walked past him out the door. The count gave no recognition that he even noticed that Vlad was leaving.

Robin quickly slipped up to Vlad's room. He guessed that it was going to be the last night of him living there and he was going to make the most of it. He packed his suitcase, empty the wardrobe that he had fill only five days before and placing it untidily into the shiny jet black suitcase. Sliding the now full suitcase back under the bed, Robin went to explore the castle while he still had a chance to do so without being called a trespasser.


	13. Hypnotisim

**Chapter 13 **

Bryn lay on her bed facing sideways towards the chair that Vlad was sat on.

"Vlad, why can't I remember anything?" Bryn's voice was soft and calm; it was as though she was thinking aloud but so defined in what she was asking and to whom she was asking.

"What can't you remember?" Vlad asked trying to copy her soft tone. He had his left arm leant on the bed, with his chin rested on it. He and Bryn were very close.

"Anything before Ingrid hit my head against that wall; I mean I'm still not sure why Lyden's here and Clea's not." Bryn looked deeply into Vlad's hazelnut brown eyes, they were staring at her with adoration and a hint of concern as Bryn's last spoken sentence processed through his mind.

"Well your memory can't be all that bad for you can still remember who everyone is even if they are not here, (Clea's at university finishing her exams off) so it's just a case of filling in the missing events." Vlad sounded so positive, despite everything that had gone on, that Bryn felt she would be wrong not to put full trust in his words.

Bryn shifted slightly as she extended her arm to clasp Vlad's hand.

"I hope so, I really do." Bryn said, to herself rather than anyone else in the room. She, more than anyone had fretted over the consequences of her ailment, it troubled her deeply to think that the events of her life up till now had been erased completely out of her mind. The confusion and headaches that she gained from trying to remember were almost too much to bear.

Vlad squeezed Bryn's hand in reassurance, he was determined that he would make sure Bryn was returned to full health with her memory intact, even if he ended up being the one restoring her to health.

Vlad felt a light touch on his shoulder and his name gently being called, bringing him back from his dream state. It was Chrysantia Nurson who had woken him. She had arrived to find Vlad sitting in the visitor's chair; his head leant on the bed, fast asleep. Bryn had also been asleep, holding tightly onto Vlad's hand, she had awoken when her mother entered the room, (ever since her first night in the hospital Bryn had been prone to light sleeping and was woken easily by the smallest of sounds) and her free hand had tenderly took a piece of Vlad's mousey brown hair, running it through her fingers as Vlad slept on.

"I think your father may be getting a little worried by now Vlad." Chrysantia told him, "It's getting rather late, Bryn's coming home tomorrow, so you and Robin can feel free to come and visit once she's settled." Vlad nodded, still slightly dreamy for he had properly awoken yet. He got up to leave, finding that he still had tight grasp of Bryn's hand. She let go and Vlad bent down to hug her.

"I suppose I ought to be off, see you tomorrow evening and I'll bring Robin with me!" Vlad stood up to his full height gazing at Bryn as he said his farewell and left.

Out of the corner of her eye Chrysantia observed the scene, secretly smiling as she watched the two 14 year olds in the awkward act of saying goodbye. She had busied herself with packing the small amount of belongings that was lain out on the bed, she wanted to be well prepared for an easy transition the next day and she wanted to make sure that they had time to be 'alone' for a moment. Following her daughters gaze, she came to a conclusion.

"You love that boy, don't you?" Bryn smiled and sunk deep into the covers, Chrysantia knew exactly what her answer was without a word uttering from her lips.

Flicking through the photo album Bryn began to recall her memories.

"Hey do you remember when the count tried to drain our blood?" Robin recalled this with a smile.

"I don't think she really wanted to remember that, Robin!" Vlad said.

"No, if I'm going to get my memories back I want to get them all back, good and bad!" after thinking about this Vlad agreed, it made sense really.

Robin dictated the event in all exactness, not leaving out anything. Vlad shut his ears to most of Robin's dictation; he didn't want to remember it, not really. When Robin finished, he got up to go to loo.

"Wait till he gets back!" Vlad whispered to Bryn.

"Why?" Bryn asked confused which wasn't hard in the recent month.

"Wait and see!" Vlad got up and went to stand by the door as Robin came back in, Vlad opened the door for him and Robin was very cautious as he took a step into the room.

"Robin come here a minute, look into my eyes." Robin did as he was asked taking great caution for he was slightly apprehensive about what Vlad intended to do.

There was a moment of silence as Robin stared into Vlad's eyes as he had been told to, after about a half a minute Vlad moved away but Robin stayed rooted to the spot, not blinking, not moving.

"Rob…" Bryn started but was quickly hushed by Vlad.

"What have you done to him?" Bryn whispered.

"Hypnotized him!" Vlad said gleefully, Bryn's jaw dropped open, her eyes widen but a grin crept across her face. She didn't say anything for it was one of those moments when you just don't know what to say.

"Now, what shall I make him do?" Vlad muttered audibly to himself although making sure Bryn could hear him.

"Ah got it! Robin when you wake up you will no long have an obsession with vampires and anything gothic!" Vlad clicked his fingers and Robin came back to life. He looked at the leather jacket and then looked at Vlad.

"Did you make me wear this? I look ridiculous! And I hate black!" Bryn and Vlad tried to stifle their giggles as Robin uttered the one sentence that they thought they would never hear in the whole of Robin's lifetime. Robin ripped the jacket off and threw it on the bed; Bryn folded it neatly over her chair. She was protecting herself and Vlad from getting the stick later, from the real Robin, because they hadn't looked after it properly.

Robin moved to sit next to Bryn and she made a space for him.

"ROBIN YOUR MUM'S HERE!" Chrysantia called up the stairs. Robin sighed and got up, without complaining and walked down the stairs before Bryn or Vlad could stop him.

"Where's your jacket?" Elizabeth asked her son, wondering how he had actually managed to forget it.

"What? That leather _black _thing! Mum seriously!" Elizabeth went with it assuming he was playing some sort of trick on her and the jacket was safely tucked away in his school bag.

When they arrived home Robin's father gave him a gift. Robin stared hard at the black ornate, gothic notebook.

"what's this? Why have you given me a black notebook with a skull on it? You know I hate black!" the Branning family, the whole family, stopped what they were doing to stare at Robin.

"You wanted it, you asked me to get it!" Robin's dad was more concerned about his son then he had ever been before.

"No I didn't!" Robin held the notebook as far away from him as possible, there was no recollection that he even saw it in the shop the other day, not even the fuss he made when his mum refused to get it for him.

"Ur yes you did!" Chloe said she had frozen as she walked through the living room door, holding her mountainous pile of homework that she had been about to tackle.

Robin shook his head, his blanked over face with the element of seriousness told Chloe that there was something wrong. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it, frowning as she tried to figure out what could have possibly made her brother forget something that he so obviously had wanted so badly.

Robin stood in the threshold of his room, surveying the dark gothic colours that created the theme that he had previously been obsessed with.

"This is my room, what the hell have I been thinking?" Robin grabbed an empty plastic bag and started to put his treasured ornaments, one by one, into the depths of the large Tesco's bag.

There was a knock on the door but Robin was given no time to answer for Chloe walked in taking a step backwards as she noticed what Robin was doing

"Robin are you feeling ok?" Chloe enquired dragging the words out to make sure Robin understood.

"Never better!" Robin replied cheerfully.

"Ok, so why are you putting your ornaments in a bag?" Chloe pointed to the white plastic bag.

"Blitzing my room! Anything black or gothic goes out the window, red can stay I like red." This was all a bit too much for Chloe, who ran out the room completely stunned and shocked at how normal Robin was being.

Vlad and Bryn where walking in through the school gate when they were greeted by an annoyed Chloe. She strode straight up to Vlad gave him a push back using both her hands on his shoulders.

"What have you done to my brother?" Chloe demanded.

"Woa, hi Chloe nice meeting you here!" Vlad sarcasm was not going to wash on Chloe today. She gave him a 'no nonsense' look which she wouldn't back down from.

"Alright, I hypnotized him!" Vlad confessed knowing that he wouldn't be left alone otherwise.

"Then un-hypnotize him!" Chloe commanded.

"Oh come on, let it at least last the day! Please, it's my payback!" Vlad's pleading obviously worked for Chloe walked away without reinforcing her command.

Bryn turned to Vlad.

"Payback? What has Robin done to deserve Payback?"

"Over the years… a lot!" Bryn smiled she understood how Robin could provoke Vlad to do something in return for all the times that he had embarrassed or annoyed him. But for Robin this was unintentionally done, for Vlad the hypnotizing had been done on purpose, it made Bryn think about the subtle differences between her two best friends.

Without his distinctive leather jacket, Robin was difficult to find among the growing crowd. When they did find him they were shocked, Robin looked completely different, his hair had been brushed back so it didn't fall into his eyes and minus his jacket he always looked entirely unalike his usual self.

He was looking for them, making small circles on the spot trying to catch a glimpse of them somewhere in the crowd. He stopped in a half semi-circle facing Vlad and Bryn. He smiled and threw his arms around Vlad; Vlad almost fell over with the extra weight and the pure shock of the hug. Robin then turned to hug Bryn; she was prepared for this and so didn't almost fall over. Vlad could've sworn that Robin gave Bryn a longer hug then he had given him.

At break time Robin and Bryn where let out for fresh air but Vlad had to stay in for a while until he finished the classwork that he had forgotten to do, due to daydreaming.

They moved towards the bench, Bryn could feel Robin's gaze upon her the whole time. When they sat down Robin still had his gaze firmly rooted on Bryn.

"Robin, what are you staring at?" Robin titled his head still keeping his eyes on Bryn.

"You," Robin extended his hand to a way-would strand of Bryn's hair, he tucked it behind her ear.

"You know your hair really does compliment your eyes!" Bryn felt extremely uncomfortable with Robin's abnormal behaviour, it didn't feel right especially knowing that Robin was hypnotized. The bell rang preventing the scene from going any further, saving Bryn from any awkward conversations.

They caught Vlad coming out of the classroom looking very annoyed that he had missed break, but also quite concern for he had caught the end of Robin and Bryn's incident. Robin went straight past Vlad and on into the school building. Vlad grabbed hold of Bryn's arm as she came closer to him.

"Are you alright?" Vlad asked seeing her shocked expression.

"Please un-hypnotize him Vlad, it's freaking me out!" Bryn implored, she was gripping onto Vlad's arm a little too tight to be considered comfortable.

"Ok, I'll do it, after school so he's not too disorientated," Vlad told her quietly, for the corridor had gone quiet and they guessed they were late for their lesson.

"Sorry we're late miss!" Vlad apologized as they walked into the classroom. Vlad made a point of moving Bryn out the way so she wasn't sitting next to Robin. Until Vlad had un-hypnotized Robin he was not trusting him to be alone with Bryn. Vlad gave Robin a smile hoping that he hadn't noticed how big a thing he had made about making sure Bryn did not sit next him. Luckily for Vlad he had been oblivious to this, more content in watching how the English teacher glided the pen so smoothly on the whiteboard as she wrote the topic and the learning objective for them to copy into their books.

Despite the fact that Vlad had so openly apologized for being late it seemed as though the teacher hadn't heard him. Miss Halswood appeared to be a bit disorganised for her lesson, whereas normally the books would be on their desks ready for when they came in, she had to ask for a volunteer to hand them out. This gave them a little more time to get their own stuff out ready for the lesson; the homework and the pencil cases.

"Hey, can you come to my house tonight, it's just, well, I find the castle a little creepy, no offence!" Vlad could relate well to Bryn's comment now, Robin's hypnosis was kind of freaking him out too.

"Robin…" Robin turned to face Vlad he was smiling which made the whole thing worse. There was a snap of the fingers and Robin shook his head bewildered, the last thing he remembered was coming back into Bryn's room after paying a visit to the loo.

"Right, now class, today…Robin, will you please pay attention!" Robin was at a complete loss at how and why he was there, in this seat, at 11 o'clock in the morning when he didn't have a clue on what had happened before that. He run his hand through his hair, it was brushed back, he never brushed it back, he hated not being able to feel his fringe coming down over his eyes. And he wasn't wearing his jacket, shrugging his shoulders he tried to get use to the strange feeling of not wearing it, where was it? What had possessed him not to wear it?

"Vlad I thought you said you'd do it after school," Bryn reminded Vlad whispering now so as not to be told off by Miss Halswood.

"It wasn't me who clicked!" Vlad whispered back, Bryn gave him a confused look and Vlad made a big gesture in the direction of the English teacher.

Robin went rather pale and his hand shot up to ask the teacher if he could go to the bathrooms. The teacher readily agreed seeing his colour. Robin seriously looked like he was going to be sick as he got up from his seat. Vlad looked at Bryn and then looked at Robin, he made a decision. Getting up from his chair and leaving out for someone to trip over, he followed in pursuit of Robin, ignoring the pleads from Miss Halswood for him to come back.

Bryn tucked Vlad's chair in and picked up her pen and started to copy the title into her book.

Vlad followed Robin into the boy's bathrooms.

"Robin, are you alright?" Vlad asked. Robin was sorting out his hair in the mirror, his complexion was still pale and it worried Vlad.

"What is going on? I can't remember how the hell I got here, I was in Bryn's house and now I'm at school how does that work?" Robin looked at Vlad his confusion was clearly the reason why he was so pale. Vlad sighed, he felt whole responsible for his friend feeling so sick, now it was time to confess.

"I hypnotized you, sorry!" Robin face seemed to light up.

"You hypnotized me! Wow! What did you tell me to do?" Robin seemed excited now.

"I told you that you didn't have an obsession with anything vampire or gothic things, turns out we prefer you when you do!" Vlad laughed at his own little joke, Robin smiled, happy that his friends now accepted his obsession as part of him.

"You not angry with me are you?" Vlad enquired sheepishly. Robin shook his head, still grinning because he had actually experienced hypnotism, even if he couldn't remember a thing about it.

Bryn sat in the classroom, pen in hand but paper empty. She couldn't concentrate when she knew that Robin and Vlad were still in the boy's bathrooms, she hoped that Robin wasn't too ill after the hypnosis. It had alarmed her when Robin had acted so strange and she found it worrying that Vlad found it necessary to give Robin some sort of payback for all the things he had done when he hadn't realised he was doing it.

"Bryn Nurson why is your page blank?" Miss Halswood was leant over Bryn's shoulder peering down intimidating-ly. Bryn looked up, warily to the teacher. She was aware that she hadn't done anything through the whole lesson.

"I think you will be finding you and Vladimir in detention this afternoon!" Bryn sighed inaudibly so as to prevent receiving another detention. Oh well at least she wouldn't be alone.

Robin ate lunch on his own, his sister was avoiding him because he had been acting so weird and Bryn and Vlad where obliged to eat their lunch in the silence of the English classroom.

"I'm sorry Bryn." Vlad said through bites of the foul tasting sandwiches. Bryn frowned.

"It's my fault that I didn't do any work, not yours!" Vlad was about to thank Bryn and then explain what had happened with Robin, when the teacher walked in the room holding their class books. Slamming them down on the desk she described what she wanted them to do and went to sit at her desk and continue with her marking.

Raising their eyebrows at each other, they pulled the books over to them. Opening up the books to the next empty page they began writing. Every now and again they would confer about a certain question and the teacher would look up and they would stop and continue writing. When it came to about 2 minutes before the bell would ring Miss Halswood bid them to tidy up and hand their finished work in. neither of them hesitated in performing this task! Speedily packing their equipment away they found they were done with time to spare. Walking out the classroom as quickly as they could they felt relieved, detention was over and done with, the work finished and they still had a minute to spare.

Bryn was still stuffing her pencil case into her bag as they walked in to the hallway, a group of year 6 boys where running through the hallway and as one of them glanced back to check how far ahead of his pursuers he had got, he bumped into Bryn knocking the contents of her bag on the floor. The boy took one look at the mess he had caused and another look back at his friends who were chasing him and ran.

Immediately both Vlad and Bryn started to gather up the small sprawled pile of workbooks and place them back into their home. There was only one book left. Vlad grabbed it at the exact same time as Bryn and together they put the last book back with its friends in the midst of Bryn's bag, standing up slowly Bryn slung the bag over her shoulders all the while keeping eye contact with Vlad.

"Thanks," Bryn muttered not sure whether or not Vlad had heard her. He leaned in so their heads were almost touching, Bryn leaned in so their heads were touching, their lips so close that it was only a matter of millimetres before they actually came into contact with each other.

"Hey, found you I've been looking all over for you two, I couldn't quite remember where you said you had to go!" Robin was entirely ignorant to what he had ruined by his appearance and his conversation starter. So it made little difference that Bryn and Vlad tried to cover up what they had almost done.

Holding hands, Bryn and Vlad took their arms above Robin who followed their hands as they hovered over his head. When they were completely over him, Robin denied all knowledge of the weird hand thing they did and put his arms around their shoulders like usual and they walked off down the corridor, laughing their heads off.


	14. ecstatic with happiness

_I'm sorry for the wait but it took a while to get the internet on my laptop, don't worry I've got it now so there won't so much of a delay between chapters!_

Chapter 14 

Robin, Vlad and Bryn where in the library for no particular reason apart from the fact that it was a nice quite place for Vlad to explain how he had come to possess the power of hypnotism and how it was done.

"So how did you know that you could do it? There must have been some else that you hypnotized before me." Robin stated eager to know more of the details. Bryn was equally eager to know if he had hypnotized someone else and backed up Robin's comment, so they were now waiting, avidly, in anticipation for Vlad to spill the beans –so to speak!

"I, um, sorta hypnotized Zoltan!" both Robin and Bryn gave him a wide-eyed look of surprise.

"Zoltan! But he's a stuffed wolf!" Bryn said.

"Doesn't mean to say he can't be hypnotized though, does it! Come on, what did you make him do?" Robin playfully fell over as Bryn decided to nudge him because a) he had found a worthy answer to the comment that she had meant for Vlad and b) because she didn't really want a reply.

Vlad looked at his watch, 5 o'clock, enough time.

"Shall I tell you the whole story, right from the beginning?" Bryn and Robin nodded eagerly.

"OK. About three weeks ago my dad wanted to give me a lesson in hypnotizing and I, not wanting to spend an afternoon in the midst of the dreary great hall, kind of said I already knew how to do it. That was a really stupid thing to do because then my dad wanted me to show him, so I had to lie and say that I was too tired to do it well and that I would show him in the morning. Of course I didn't actually know how to hypnotize anyone at this point so I asked Zoltan when I got into my room. I was up until midnight learning how to hypnotize. It's actually pretty easy when you know how! Nearing the end of Zoltan's lesson, when I was practising the act of staring deeply into his eyes, I found that Zoltan had stop moving and was unable to talk; Just like Robin was. So I tried the next step and told him that he was a real wolf, not a stuffed one. I clicked my fingers and Zoltan re-awoke panting heavily just as if he was alive. He still spoke but was not as polite as usual and it was generally about food, rather than advice! So anyway, he went to the window, which I had left open, and started to howl loudly. I ran over and clamped my hand around his mouth and closing the window with my free hand. If that had gone on any longer I would have had either Ingrid or dad telling me to shut him up or they'll through him out the window! I made him swear not to howl again and I went to bed.

The next morning when I went down to breakfast dad told me to hypnotize Ingrid to prove I already had the gift. Well that didn't work because Ingrid was aware of what I was trying to do and purposely made sure there was no way I could look into her eyes. I told dad that I had hypnotized Zoltan but he said that he wanted to see me do it, besides Ingrid suggested that Zoltan could easily be faking it, on my orders.

When I got back home I was greeted by Ingrid holding out some of her clothes, they were torn and in a complete jumble. Apparently Ingrid had found the clothes in Zoltan's makeshift basket, with him chewing on it. She blamed me for ordering Zoltan to do it. Dad blamed Ingrid for leaving them lying around in plain view, waiting for something like this to happen. No one thought of laying the blame entirely on Zoltan.

I went over to Zoltan who was looking very sulky and still chewing on a piece of red fabric that belonged to Ingrid's ripped blouse. I tried taking the fabric away from him but he growled at me, fiercer each time I attempted to tear the useless bit of fabric from his teeth. His eyes went a bright yellow colour, that and the growling was enough to make me a little frightened at what I had made Zoltan become, but knowing that he was still my pet and adviser inside somewhere, I persisted until Zoltan got so angry that he bit me, hard on my hand, his teeth sunk into my skin and I let out a screech which made dad come running and Ingrid tag along to see what the fuss was all about.

His long sharp teeth managed to puncture my skin so there was blood seeping out of the wound a quite a fast rate. My dad pulled Zoltan away from me while I took the red fabric and tied it tightly around my wound. He threatened to throw Zoltan out the window but I screamed out a NO and he stopped, letting go of Zoltan's collar. I tried telling dad that I had hypnotized Zoltan, but he wouldn't listen. I think it must have got on Ingrid's nerves because the next thing we knew there was a loud snap of the fingers and Zoltan stopped chewing madly at the cardboard that made his bed.

Poor Zoltan was completely confused and looked between the three of us waiting to be informed at what had just happened. Dad just said well done to me and went off. Ingrid gave me a glare as she walked off, in the opposite direction to dad and I was left sitting on the cold flagstone, clutching my wounded hand, wondering what to say to Zoltan.

'What did you do to yourself, master Vlad?' I told him what had happened, that it was his own teeth that had caused the damage and that I wasn't angry at him because it was my fault for hypnotizing him.

'I am ever so sorry master Vlad, I did not realise my teeth where so sharp!' I accepted his apology and took him and the basket back up to my room and …oh it's six o'clock!" Vlad had glanced at his watch, unbelieving that he had taken up the whole hour with his anecdote.

Robin groaned, complaining about going back home, but when Bryn suggested that he could stay if he wanted his mother to go ecstatic with worry again, he soon changed his mind. Grabbing the school bags Bryn and Robin went to the door. Bryn hesitated at the doorframe.

"You go on ahead, I'll catch you up! I left something in the library!" Bryn was about to turn to go, thinking that Robin would continue on down the road like any other person would, but Robin wasn't just any other person.

"What did you forget?" he asked. Bryn sighed taking a half turn to face him again.

"The book Chloe lent me, I didn't put it in my bag, remember?" Robin grunted and started walking off, any mention of books and he wasn't interested.

Bryn smiled, shaking her head and wondering why he even bothered to ask. She pushed the door to and headed back inside. Vlad was still in the library when Bryn walked back in. he gave her a confused look pointing his finger at her as she walked over towards the table, it was as if he was trying to say 'what are you doing?' but without moving his lips.

"Book." The one word answer to Vlad's silent question said it all and Vlad lowered his hand while mouthing an inaudible oh.

Bryn bent down to retrieve the book from the chair she had left it on. As her hand lifted the book from the chair she felt another hand wrap round her waist, spinning her around.

"Remember what happened the other day?" Vlad asked knowing that there was no reason for him to be asking the question because it had been etched in both of the memories since the event.

"Could I forget?" Bryn said softly more to herself then Vlad. Vlad pulled her closer and their lips touched, they kissed.

It was Bryn who had to break the moment, her mum was waiting for her at home and Robin was most probably waiting for her at the bottom of the road. She was already late and did not wish to know how her mother would react to her being even later.

They both regretted that they had to part, it annoyed them that the moment had to be broken up, when if Robin hadn't interrupted them the other day, they could've had longer.

Vlad watched Bryn leave the room, he was still staring at the door even after she had left. Hugging his arms around his body, he wanted to scream with happiness and was about to, until the door reopened revealing his older sister.

"What's got you so hyped up?" she asked noticing how her brother was effectively grinning from ear to ear.

"Nothing!" Vlad said cheerfully, making Ingrid extremely suspicious. She narrowed her eyes as she watched Vlad leave the room with a slight skip in his step, an obvious pointer to something going on.

Sure enough, as Bryn had thought, Robin was waiting at the end of the road, looking warily at the on-going traffic. He refused to cross this road without company and would take the long route through the forest if he was on his own. Bryn came skipping towards him (yes, skipping, and a 14 year old too!) ignoring the fact that her bag was digging in to her side. Robin perked up when he spotted her, now he could actually cross the road and get home.

"I thought you said you'd only be a minute!" Robin greeted her.

"Didn't say it like that! But yeah, I got a little caught up!" Bryn's smile widen as she recalled the kiss.

"How can you get caught up when all you had to do was pick up a book and come back out!" Robin really didn't know when to shut up, any other person would have left the matter be.

"ur, Robin I don't think it's any of your business, you do realise you can be a bit nosey sometimes!" Bryn giggled through her words making Robin feel intimidated, like she was laughing at him when all she really was, was laughing because of the extreme level of happiness she felt running through her body.

Robin couldn't help but stare as Bryn swished her hair away from her face so she could see the road clearly. He couldn't help but feel de-ja-vu when he contemplated how her light brown hair lined her face in all the right ways, making it seem bright and cheerful even if the expression was the opposite.

Bryn grabbed hold of Robin's hand as she began to cross the road, he hadn't looked as if he had paid attention to the fact that there were no cars going in either direction and that she was planning to cross. He was, as predicted, startled with the act. He had been lost in thought and Bryn had quite literally tugged him away from it, pulling him across the road.

Robin still felt tingling in his hand as he walked in the door; he wriggled it about feeling the warm touch of Bryn's hand all over again.

"Something wrong with you hand, cape boy?" one of the twins said when he spotted Robin wiggling his right hand and watching it intently.

"No, nothing's wrong with my hand!" Robin told him as he put his hand behind his back.

"You're late!" Robin heard Chloe's voice come from behind his brother's. He titled his upper torso to see behind the larger body, this made him move and Robin's eyes followed his brother as he left the hallway, he grinned at his little sister wanting to share with someone how satisfied it made him feel when he could get rid of either one of his brothers without saying one word.

"Mum's in the lounge waiting for you, she was about to prepare another rescue mission!" Chloe subsequently left after telling Robin this information and Robin dumped his school bag by the wall and slowly took the short walk to the lounge. What was he going to say to her? That he was too much of a coward to cross the road without Bryn, so because she had to go back for the book, he was late too? Would that wash on Elizabeth Branning?

Robin taking a breath, waited for his mother to speak. She beckoned him towards her and asked where he had been. He replied that he had been at the castle and Mrs Branning sighed, wondering when her son was ever not at the castle!

It had washed. Robin was free from embarrassment and constant teasing.

Bryn jumped into the front door, her parents and brother was alerted by the sound.

"We're in the front room darling!" Chrysantia called to her daughter. Bryn followed the voice in to the front room where Lyden was sat on the sofa with his legs up on the cushion. Bryn skipped onto the sofa next to Lyden.

"Why are you so bouncy today?" Lyden asked, Bryn smiled and told him that it was nothing.

"Oh come on, something's making you so happy!" Lyden observed, Bryn said that there was nothing wrong, but she was grinning.

"Come on!" Lyden started to tickle his little sister, "Tell me!"

Lyden kept on tickling Bryn until she was obliged to give in.

"Alright, alright, I tell you, if you stop tickling me!" Bryn yelled, Lyden stopped tickling her and waited for her answer.

"Vlad kissed me!"

Bryn's father gave Chrysantia a questioning look, the look that a father would give when he realizes that his daughter has a boyfriend.

Lyden grinned, putting his arms around Bryn and pulling her onto his lap.

"What did I say? I knew it!" Lyden giggled into her ear.

Vlad stumbled passed his father in the corridor; he was so far away in his dream world that he didn't see the count at all. Count Dracula looked back at his son, concerned at how dreamy he was looking.

Ingrid met her father at the end of the corridor.

"Does your brother look like he's glazed over, too you?" the count asked her.

"Yes, I've been wondering what that's all about for ten minutes now!" Ingrid had annoyance in her tone of voice. She couldn't work out what could make anyone so happy.

"I should like to know what's going on, when you find out Ingrid." The count left without much further ado, leaving Ingrid to ponder on the last five words.

Vlad got to his room and opened the door; he had not a clue what he was doing- it was all going in such a daze that one thing looked much like another. He didn't remember how but somewhere along the line he had got himself changed into his pyjamas and had climbed into the covers of his bed.

All three friends where asleep by the time the clock stroked 9.

_I know that I said there wouldn't be much of a delay but I did forget to mention that I seem to be writing about four stories at the same time so chapter 15 might be a little later coming up then usual, sorry!_


	15. marriage consideration

Chapter 15

Vlad was awoken by a scream coming for the great hall. It was Ingrid.

Pulling on his housecoat, Vlad followed the scream down the winding staircase and into the hall.

Ingrid was screaming at the count but the count seemed to have shut his ears to the noise.

"I am not going to get married! Not to him, not to anyone!" Ingrid screamed. Vlad scanned the table at the far end was a picture of a boy in ragged clothes, he looked much older than Ingrid and by the way she was reacting she thought he was too.

"Ingrid I have already made the arrangements, you are going to marry him!" The count swished his cape closer to his body and attempted to leave the room but Ingrid took hold of his arm and dragged him back.

"TELL HIM THE ARRANGEMENTS OFF!" Ingrid screamed in his face.

"My word is final and so that it is that, I don't want to hear any more about it!" the count did not leave any time for Ingrid to reply, he left the room quickly.

Vlad picked up the photograph that had been left on the table and studied it. The character had a longish dirty blonde hair, with sad-looking green eyes.

"Is this who you're going to marry?" Vlad asked Ingrid, it was obvious what the answer was but he said it anyway. Ingrid nodded her face turning red with anger. Vlad shock his head slowly, making it very clear that he was being sarcastic about it.

"Shut up Vlad!" Ingrid brushed past him, pushing him (purposefully) over.

"What did I do?" he muttered to himself sarcastically, picking himself off the floor.

"Married but she's 15!" Bryn exclaimed after Vlad had told her and Robin the news.

"That doesn't seem to make much difference when you're a vampire!" Vlad concluded. He had observed that his father had overlooked the law requiring that people under the age of 16 cannot be married, not even with guardian consent.

"Who's the lucky fellow then?" Robin asked, Bryn and Vlad giving him an almost repulsed look. The manner in which he proposed his question was somewhere between being terribly disappointed and altogether overjoyed.

Bryn took Vlad's hand and they started to walk away from their crazy friend, it took a while from Robin to realize but then he started jogging to catch up with them.

"Hey!" Robin called out to them as he just about managed to catch up with them. Robin was about to ask why they had walked away when Vlad shushed him. Robin took a small step backwards; Vlad hardly ever shushed him, ignored what he was saying and completely blank out, yes but tell him to shush, no. following Vlad and Bryn's gaze he saw the reason why he had been shushed.

Ingrid was on the steps leading to the art mobile, with Daniel Halson, a boy she rarely took interest in. she had her hands on his shoulders, trying to be as romantic as she could but her real purpose was somewhat different.

"Is she trying to hypnotize him?" Bryn whispered to Vlad. Vlad watched for a bit longer before he answered her. Ingrid snapped her fingers.

"Yeah, hypnotized I think is the proper word to use now!" Vlad whispered back, nudging Robin and pointing out that that was exactly how he had looked when Vlad had hypnotized him.

Ingrid looked as though she was about to turn round. Bryn acted fast, she grabbed Vlad's hand dragging him out of sight on the vague hope that Robin would follow. To her luck, he did. They were huddled against the stone steps, out of view from Ingrid but with a crystal clear sound system! They could hear quite literally everything that either Ingrid or Daniel said, be it a whisper or a shout.

"Now Daniel, you are a vampire and my boyfriend, understood?"

"Yes Ingrid!" Daniel replied in a regimental way.

"So I shall see you at the castle at 3o'clock, wearing… gothic clothing!" Ingrid waited until Daniel nodded before she snapped her fingers and he went walking off in the direction of his home.

Bryn stood up thinking that Ingrid had gone into the art mobile, not realising she was still standing there. Bryn peered over the steps just as Ingrid turned around, her sharp eyesight catching Bryn's emerald green eyes.

"You little bitch!" Ingrid whispered audibly, Bryn backed away. Ingrid advancing towards her, jumping over the railings, she began a full packed charge towards Bryn who was already running away from her.

"Run, Bryn, Run!" Robin shouted Vlad in too much of a shock to say or do anything in that moment of time. Bryn ran as fast as she could but Ingrid was much faster and caught her shoulders dragging her backwards, shaking her.

Vlad came into action; he got up and rushed over to Ingrid trying to tear her away from Bryn. Grabbing Ingrid's arm he yanked it away from Bryn's shoulders and with Robin helping him by yanking the other arm away, they eventually got Ingrid's hands off of Bryn.

Robin pulled Bryn aside, still clutching on to her arm as they watched Vlad tackle his sister. Ingrid was unprepared for it and so Vlad easily got her onto the ground, arms pinned. She spat at him but he refused to let that take down his guard, never before had he felt superior to Ingrid. She was always the oldest and -whatever the count might say- an ideal vampire, something which he would never fully qualify as.

"VLADIMIR UNPIN YOUR SISTER AT ONCE!" the headmistress shouted across the playground. She was running awkwardly towards them, she adorned a pencil skirt and high heels, her hands where flapping about as if she hoped that something would stop the bigger she waved her hands around.

Robin felt the urge to help but was too scared to intervene. Instead he firmly rooted his feet to the ground, kept his hands securely holding Bryn's arm and watched as Vlad continued to fight Ingrid.

Ingrid managed to unpin her left arm and wacked Vlad on the side of the head, this made him fall and lose his grip on Ingrid. By then the headmistress was at his side picking him up from the floor.

"Vladimir and Ingrid, my office now!" she bellowed at them dragging Vlad to his feet and lending a hand to Ingrid who consequently refused. Vlad took this chance to go over to Bryn, his head ached but he wouldn't rest until he knew she was alright.

"Bryn?" Vlad put his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Bryn's eyes where wide with fright and worry, she nodded.

"A little shook up but I'll be fine, you?" Bryn indicated towards his reddened face, she tried to move her arm to touch it but found that Robin was still holding on to her arm. She looked at Robin and Robin realized why. He took his hands away putting them behind his back, pretending nothing had happened.

"Vladimir!" the headmistress called not looking to see where he was but assuming that he wasn't following her.

Vlad squeezed Bryn's shoulder in reassurance before grudgingly going after the headmistress and Ingrid.

Robin put an arm around Bryn's shoulder, he could see she was het-up (even though he didn't seemed to grasp the reason why she was, he assumed it was because Ingrid had shaken her too hard) and wanted to comfort her somehow.

"I think Vlad took that too far," Bryn said quietly.

"A bit, although it was quite amusing!"

"Robin," Bryn warned him.

It was half past one and Vlad and Ingrid where already home, having been told by the headmistress that they were suspended for a day so they could think over their behaviour.

"Well," the count started looking at each of his children in turn. They were sat on chairs at least a mile apart, arms folded, looking as miserable as sin.

"We seemed to have made a breakthrough! Well done, good and proper fighting that's how things should be settled, not by words like girls do!"

Both children had their mouths opened. Ingrid was offended and Vlad was shocked.

"Still never mind it gives us more time to prepare for Hans' arrival at 4 o'clock this afternoon!" the count said walking off to continue with the preparations.

"Arh about that dad, I've already got a boyfriend!" Ingrid said getting up from her chair and following her father.

"Well, why didn't you tell me? Is he suitable?" the count ventured not truly believing that she would have picked anyone who wasn't a vampire.

"You can vet him later he's coming round at three." Ingrid informed the count. Vlad had taken this opportunity to rise from his seat and sneak out of the room to the sanctuary of his own room. He didn't want to be caught up in any of the preparations for either one of the visitors be they vampires or human.

Robin was struggling to concentrate on the science questions, they both where. Bryn had hardly even started, she had wrote one answer then crossed it out and left it blank along with the other 9 question they were supposed to be answering. Robin looked at Bryn; her head was in her hands and her pen strewn across the textbook. She sensed he was looking at her and lifted her head up to him.

"Together?" Bryn asked Robin nodded and pulled his textbook closer to Bryn's.

"Let's read the page out loud, then try and answer the flipping questions!" Robin suggested showing his lack of interest for the subject. Robin began to read the page out loud, too loud. Several people turned round and told him to shush. If Bryn had been in the mood and actually listened she would have probably laughed or at least giggled.

"Do you think he's alright?" Bryn asked out of the blue. Robin had to take a double take before he grasped what Bryn was on about.

"what Dr Thomas? Sure his only been dead ten years!" Robin teased; he didn't know why he had decided to make a joke out of it, he wasn't in the mood and Bryn was definitely not in the mood for jokes. Bryn gave him a 'don't start that again' look, Robin returned it with a fake smile.

"I'm sure he's having a whale of a time, what could be better than going home early from school!"

"Vlad loves school." Bryn reminded him, it was hard for Robin to believe that anyone could want to go to school but Vlad did, preferring it to his own home which was why Bryn was concerned, that and she wasn't sure how the count would react to them being sent home.

Robin moved his hand onto Bryn's giving it a squeeze as he said:

"I'm sure he's fine, this is Vlad we are talking about!" Bryn looked up her usually bright eyes where dull but still the beautiful shade of green, Robin stared into them with his grey-blue eyes, he had never seen her so concerned.

Vlad watched from his hideout as Ingrid opened the door to Daniel Halson, looking very strange in the black outfit which so obviously didn't suit him. The count had cancelled the meeting with Hans, in full confidence that he was going to approve of Ingrid's 'boyfriend'.

He was waiting for 4:30 when he could expect Robin and Bryn to be finished school, till then he was lost with the means of what to do. He did want to find out whether Ingrid would actually get away with passing Daniel off as a vampire, which is why he was sat on the steps in the corner concealed from view but privy to everything.

Ingrid was about to tell Daniel something when the count appeared in front of her, he had been waiting for this moment and had planned to surprise his guest by apparating next to him when he least expected it, apparently this didn't fool Daniel. The count looked marginally upset that he hadn't got the slightest react from either of them, if it had been Vlad he had done it to then there would've been a big reaction.

"Dad this is Daniel, Daniel this is my dad." Ingrid introduced them to each other.

"A pleasure to be your acquaintance, sir." Daniel said shaking the count's hand. The count was impressed.

"Please just call me the count." As much as he enjoyed being recognized as gentry he thought it best to stick with the usual name. The count put an arm around Daniel's shoulder guiding him towards another door.

"Perhaps we would be more comfortable in the library," he said leading them through the door.

Vlad felt a little cheated out of the entertainment but could not be bothered to move for the relaxing position he was in. he was still there when Robin and Bryn walked through the door at 4:30. He was going to shout out to them right there and then but something made him wait, he like the idea of being able to watch them without them being aware of it.

Robin and Bryn walked into the great hall, Robin paused thinking something odd. Bryn had been walking behind him and the abrupt stop almost made her walk into him, she had been heading for Vlad's room believing that he would almost definitely be in there.

"What's wrong with you?" Bryn asked moving so she was beside him rather than behind.

"Don't you feel like someone's watching you?" Robin said looking around him avidly.

"Vlad?" Bryn called into the air. Vlad felt obliged to answer.

"I'm up here!" he called back still too lazy to feel like standing up. Robin tensed and grabbed Bryn's hand as a reflex action. Bryn looked down at it but didn't make any effort to move it away.

Vlad stood up automatically when he saw Robin take Bryn's hand, it was like a surge of jealousy ran through him and he suddenly felt hatred towards Robin, his best friend. He descended the steps with these new feelings swarming round his body. As he came into view Bryn let go of Robin and ran over to Vlad hugging him tightly. It was like Bryn took away all of the jealous feelings in one simple hug.

"Are you ok?" Bryn asked softly, Vlad was still overcoming his change of emotions to hear her properly.

"Huh?"

"She said are you ok?" Robin re-said for her.

"Yeah, yeah fine. How about you two?" Vlad asked them in return.

"We were worried about you mate, we couldn't concentrate on science!" Robin added. Vlad smiled at him wiping away any of the previous feelings aside as he doted on how much his friends cared about him.

They heard the sound of the door being pushed open and voices coming into the hall, Vlad quickly ushered them up the stairs to the spot he had been sitting in before they arrived. The count came in followed by Daniel and Ingrid.

"Is that…" Bryn began.

"Daniel halson? Yes." Vlad finished and answered her query.

They watched as the count shook hands with Daniel and Ingrid grinned contented that she had successfully fooled her father.

"Don't it just make you want to click, you know to ruin it?" Robin asked them, they both looked at him and he was waiting for the telling off.

"Yeah, it does!" Bryn and Vlad agreed, Robin looked temporarily shocked then glad cause they had both agreed with him for once.

"It's just whether or not we've got then nerve to do it!" Bryn said keeping her voice down so as the plan would not be given away if they did go ahead.

Vlad had a grin on his face, a grin that Bryn knew meant was planning to do revenge.

"One, two, three!" Vlad whispered. On three they all clicked their fingers and watched, trying to hide their laughter, as Daniel Halson recovered from the hypnosis.

Daniel's eyes roamed the room, his heart racing, trying to understand how the hell he had got there. His eyes completed panning the room, landing on Ingrid. He assumed straight away that she was the reason he was here and couldn't remember anything since the start of the school day. She had a growing reputation for being the troublemaker of the school, although some people had an even larger one, she had a habit of keeping the trouble aimed at a person rather than to annoyed almost everyone in the school.

"Daniel…" Ingrid began, not knowing what to say to him now that he was no longer under hypnosis.

"Where the hell am I and how the hell did I get here?" Daniel asked emphasising the word 'hell'.

"Why you are in my castle, son and you arrived here promptly at 3 o'clock just as you promised my daughter." Daniel looked round in bewilderment, finding where the voice came from he took several steps backwards, eyes wide with fear and shock. The count was not someone who you would want to see when you had just woken up in unfamiliar surroundings.

"I'm sorry whoever you are, but I didn't mean to intrude." Daniel started to apologize believing it the only thing that might prevent this deranged character from hurting him.

"Nonsense! Ingrid what's going on?" the count had yet to realize what Ingrid had done.

"Um…" Ingrid didn't want to admit that she had hypnotised Daniel, at least not when he was standing in front of her.

"one minute I was standing outside the art block and now I'm in some dingy castle, will someone please tell me what's going on!" Daniel appealed to Ingrid but the count replied.

"You hypnotised him, oh Ingrid did you really think that would fool me!" Ingrid kept quiet although she longed to mention something about the fact that it had so obviously fooled him up till then.

"Get him out of here," the count commanded Ingrid, she obeyed only because she believed it the best thing to do within the situation.

Daniel was all too pleased to be shown the door, the place creeped him out especially as he had no recollection of how he had got there in the first place.

Ingrid was reluctant to go back into the great hall. Now that the count knew she didn't have a boyfriend then he would go straight back to talking of marriage to Hans.

The three friends had been unable to contain their giggles and the count (having extremely good hearing) heard them and demanded that they showed themselves. They did, coming down the steps slowly, not knowing what to expect.

"Where you the ones who clicked?" The count asked plainly. They all nodded.

"Thank-you for unmasking the deception, I shall have to be more careful to monitor her in future." Vlad was a little surprised at his father, thanking people was usually unheard of for count Dracula.

Ingrid tried ti sneak through the great hall and find sanctuary somewhere that her father would never think of looking but apparently she wasn't quick enough for she was so close to darting away up the stairs when the count spotted her.

"As for you young lady, I'm I am going to write to Hans, tell him the engagements on." Ingrid pulled a face or disgust and defeat and then scampered up the stairs; there was no way she could get away with it now.

Almost immediately after he had spoken the words, the count demanded a pen and some paper. The letter was written, folded, placed in an envelope and sent via owl.

A month later a letter arrived at the Dracula's door. The count snatched it away before anyone had a chance to even look at it. They all knew who it was from. Waiting while the count disappeared into the library to read the letter thoroughly, Ingrid started to fret. She didn't particularly like the thought of being married to someone she didn't even know and having to move away from Stokely to live with him.

Vlad was impartial in the matter; it didn't initially bother him whether or not the answer was a yes. There where good sides and bad sides for either way. He was just curious to know and that was why he hadn't left the room just yet.

The count returned after about five minutes of thorough reading. He looked neither happy nor sad, yet there was an air of failure about the way he was holding himself.

"Hans is already engaged." He announced, feeling the annoyance of his tone edge on the 'already'.

A huge sigh of relief came from Vlad's right. Ingrid had won.


	16. Robin

Chapter 16

Robin opened his eyes, the sun shone too brightly through the usually dark bedroom. He felt as though something important was supposed to happen today, something which seemed to have slipped his mind. He closed his eyes again, it was too early in the morning to be keeping them open, and tried to remember what the day was.

Was it Christmas? No that was a month ago. Was it Easter? No, defiantly not that wasn't important enough. Birthday? Yes but whose? Mum? No. oh! I'm fifteen.

Robin lay there in shock for a while, how he could forget his own birthday was the biggest query ever. He kept repeating 'I'm fifteen' in his head as he slowly pulled himself out of bed. It didn't feel like his birthday just felt like an average day. Where was all the excitement gone, why didn't he feel invigorated by the thought of opening the presents that awaited him downstairs? Age. It must be due to growing older that birthdays become less important and start to feel like ordinary days.

Robin found his clothes on the end of his bed. He knew it was a Saturday so the school uniform was discarded on the floor ready to find its way to the laundry bin. He dressed himself and then made his way down the stairs.

His mum was fussing over him, making sure he had his favourite breakfast and giving him cards and presents when he was still eating the delicious waffles and couldn't spare a moment from eating to open any of them.

"Go on Robin open some cards!" Mrs Branning seemed more excited than her son. The only other person in the room was Chloe; Robin's dad had gone to work early and the twins where still in bed.

Robin obligingly opened a few cards, as suspected they were the ones from family: his mum, dad, the twins and Chloe. He put them up around the table mat, being particular in lining them up so he could see how different they were in height.

Finishing the remainder of the waffles (aka polishing the plate) Robin got up from his seat and headed towards the door. He was unlatching the lock when Elizabeth Branning came back into the room and followed the sound of the door opening.

"Robin where are you going? Don't you want to open any of your presents?"

"I thought that I'd do that when I came back from Vlad's, when dad gets home." Elizabeth liked that idea because it sounded as though he cared that his family were there to witness his opening the presents. Although he just wanted to go and see Vlad, he had something to tell him, something that he had been bottling up for quite a while. He felt that the only person that he could tell it too, that wouldn't laugh at him, was Vlad.

Wandering up to the castle, Robin took the time to think up how he was going to phrase what he was about to tell Vlad. Was he just going to come out with it, or gradually get onto the subject then say? To be honest he didn't have a clue and was just going to take it as it came.

Robin knocked on the castle door, and then wondered why he had. He knew no one would answer it. Opening the door he slipped into the darkness, remembering with sadness that frightful day when Bryn had been dragged away without either him or Vlad noticing.

He entered the great hall, it was empty. He carried on to Vlad's room. Knocked on the door and entered (adopting Chloe's habit of not waiting for an answer).

"Robin!" Vlad said, surprised. He had just finished writing in Robin's card, quickly hiding it under the bed with the present, he stood up.

"Happy Birthday!" Vlad congratulated him. Robin didn't acknowledge this and went past him to sit on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Vlad asked coming to sit next to him.

"Don't feel like my birthday." Robin mumbled. Vlad frowned he had never known Robin not be excited about his birthday.

"Maybe this will help." Vlad reached under the bed and picked up the present and card, giving it to Robin. His eyes lit up slightly, he always got excited when Vlad gave him a present, it was more likely to be something gothic then anyone else's gifts.

He ripped open the makeshift wrapping paper (Vlad always had to improvise with the wrapping paper, but he had decided that made it more personal and began to decorate the plain brown parcel paper with coloured pens,) and Robin then tried to smooth the tattered paper out. He had realised that there had been a really good drawing of a bat on it and had wanted to save it. He then turned to the object on his lap.

Lifting up the ornament, he gazed at it. It had a fancy stand which resembled an old fashioned goblet apart from there was a glass ball where the cup part of the goblet should have been. The glass ball was held in place by two metal bats on either side.

"Look into the glass." Vlad told him. Robin gazed into the glass ball, through the mist he could make out an outline of a castle and noticed a bat fly into the window.

"How the hell does that work?" Robin asked too mesmerized to take his eyes away from the ornament.

"It's part of an occult collection, its magic." Vlad said.

Robin looked at him.

"Two years ago I would have believed that so come what is the real reason?"

"I made a film of the castle, then using Renfield's equipment placed it inside the ball so it plays over and over again." Vlad said very matter of fact-ly. Robin stared at him agape; he couldn't quite believe that Vlad had gone to all that trouble for him.

"Thanks." Robin said when he could manage to get a breath out. Vlad smiled in acknowledgement and walked towards the door, opened it and held it there.

"Do you want to go and find the chess board?" Vlad asked figuring it would be the best game to play on Robin's birthday as he knew how much he adored the game. Robin nodded eagerly, putting the ornament on the bed and wrapping it back in the wrapping paper for safety, then jumping up to follow Vlad.

Vlad had his head stuffed in a cupboard searching for the chess board when Robin found the courage to mention what had been troubling him.

"Um, Vlad can I tell you something?" Robin began.

"Sure, tell away!" Came the muffled reply.

"Alright, I think I'm falling in love with Bryn." Robin sighed, he had said it, it was out in the open now.

Vlad paused, slowly bringing his head out of the cupboard, his right hand holding the chess board, he turned to face Robin.

"What?" Vlad said not believing what he had just heard.

"I think I'm falling in love with Bryn." Robin reluctantly repeated himself. Vlad practically threw the chess board onto the table. He could feel his body rile up with emotions that he didn't even know where emotions.

Vlad un-tucked the chair and sat down haphazardly.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked confused at how Vlad was taking the new information. Vlad nodded his head towards the empty chair next to him; Robin took the message and perched on the chair.

"It seems we are both in love with Bryn." Robin stared at Vlad, making an 'oh' with his mouth while no sound came out.

"So you love her too?" Robin said stating the obvious.

"I've loved her ever since I turned twelve." Vlad emphasised. Robin pulled the chess board out from under Vlad's arm and started to line up the pieces in their correct places.

They played for about an hour in complete silence. Not saying a word only moving the pieces with the aim of winning the game. Both boys had been mulling over their last conversation.

"Does Bryn know that you love her?" Robin asked breaking the awkward silence. Vlad looked up at Robin, he nodded his head slowly.

"Oh ok." Robin said and moved his piece forward two spaces.

"Checkmate." Robin announced gleefully knowing that he had won the game. Vlad sighed and started to remove his pieces of the board.

"Play again?" Vlad asked knowing what the answer would be anyway. Robin nodded eagerly.

"VLAD?" a loud call came from the entrance. They knew who it was; they both knew who it was. Vlad rose from his seat and went to the cupboard; he was searching for a torch. Ever since the day Ingrid used the dark to her advantage, to get at Bryn, Bryn had taken to calling out for Vlad as she entered the building then Vlad would find the torch and go into the hallway so Bryn could see around her before she moved further then the door.

When Bryn was out of the hallway and into in the great hall, she kissed Vlad on the cheek but when Vlad didn't return the favour, she looked at him worriedly. Vlad nodded his head in the direction of Robin.

"Robin! What are you doing here?" Bryn tried to hide the present behind her back.

"I was going to suggest we go over to yours and surprise you!" Bryn said.

"Robin had something to tell me." Vlad explained.

"Told, I'm guessing." Bryn didn't want to get involved in whatever Robin and Vlad had said to each other, that was their business not hers.

Vlad smiled and then nodded to tell Bryn that all that needed to be said between himself and Robin was said and done.

"Anyway…" Bryn said walking towards Robin, and then revealing the present from behind her back and placing it on the table in front of Robin.

"Happy 15th!" Bryn exclaimed as she popped the card on top of the present. Robin dived straight into the present ignoring the card completely. Tearing the paper of and pulling the black garment out and holding it out. It was a t-shirt with 'vampires are cool' written on the front and a small drawing of a coffin in-between the words. Robin stood up and put it against himself checking the size.

"Cool! Thanks Bryn." Robin said. He went to hug Bryn but stopped it felt a little discomforted now that Vlad had admitted that he loved Bryn as well.

Vlad moved silently to the table and picked up the card and admire how the sliver writing stood out on the black background.

"Don't you want your card?" Vlad asked handing the envelope to Robin. He took it gratefully. He remarked on the use of the sliver pen before turning the envelope over to open it. He didn't even manage to tear a small corner away. It was snatched out of his hand by someone taller but only months older than him.

"What's this then?" Ingrid asked sarcasm ran clearly through her voice.

"A card." Robin answered looking up at her.

"A card, whose birthday is it?" Ingrid said bluntly.

"Mine." Robin said getting rather annoyed with her now.

"Oh YOUR'S." Ingrid exaggerated tossing the card close to the fireplace. Robin ran after it not wanting to let his unread card fall into the fire, especially as it was from Bryn.

Ingrid left in the same silent (she had begun to get her powers now that she was almost sixteen) manner as she had arrived in.

Robin caught the card before it was blown into the fire.

"Vlad I don't like to say it but I hate your sister!" Bryn said.

"I agree." Robin said through gritted teeth as he annoyingly spotted that the edge of the card had been slightly singed.

Vlad and Bryn raised their eyebrows at each other, they had been aware that Robin no longer fancied Ingrid but they never thought he would take it as far as to say that he hated her.

"hey do you want to go and see the new playground?" Vlad asked both Bryn and Robin.

"What playground?" Bryn said confused, since when had there been a playground in Stokely?

"Come on I'll show you!" Vlad said taking Bryn's hand. Robin slid the card in between the folds of the new t-shirt and told Vlad he was quickly going to put it in Vlad's room for safekeeping he didn't like the thought of Ingrid getting at his new things and ruining them.

They met Robin outside and they followed Vlad to the playground, they kept behind him as they had no idea where they were going. When the playground came in view they noticed that it was very new and clean.

"When did this arrive?" Robin asked glancing around at the empty but brightly coloured swings and slides.

"A few weeks ago, I watched it going up, can see it from my room." Vlad told them, Bryn looked up and spotted the window through the slight mist that always formed at the top of the castle.

"Yeah I suppose you can." Bryn agreed.

Robin opened the gate and wondered through the playground ending up on the slide. Vlad followed him and joined him on the slide and Bryn went straight to the swings. They laughed and played for quite a while, sometimes Vlad would go down the slide to quickly and land on Robin who had failed to get up quick enough, sometimes it was the other way round, either way it set them all laughing so much they thought their lungs would break.

On this occasion it was Vlad who landed on Robin, it made Robin do a forward roly-poly to end up flat on his back arms and legs stretched out as if he was sun bathing.

"Don't you just love it?" Robin announced his face grinning, although his eyes where shut.

Vlad giggled, Bryn laughed out loud. She had been on the swings all this time and was becoming quite used to the forward motion of the swing as it propelled her through the air and back again, so used to it that she tried to take her arms off the metal chain that attached the swing to the frame. The seat tipped forward and dropped its contents onto the specially designed playground flooring.

"Bryn!" Vlad exclaimed witnessing the fall first hand. Robin got up, seeing Bryn on the ground seemingly hurt, he charged towards her, so did Vlad. Both boys held out their hands so they could help Bryn up. Bryn took Vlad's offer, leaving Robin's hands left pointless there, hoping for someone to take hold of them.

Mentally Robin sighed. After that small gesture, Robin had understood that he had no chance with Bryn. Despite having two sets of hands to help her up Bryn had chosen Vlad, not Robin. He felt marginally upset but he knew now that Bryn and Vlad where meant to be together, it just was never meant to be Robin. He took his pointlessly outstretched hands down by his sides.

"Are you ok?" Vlad asked Bryn.

"Yeah, I'm good." Bryn reassured him, although she was rubbing her sore leg.

"Come on let's get you back to the castle." Vlad said taking Bryn's arm. Realising that Vlad was leaving the playground; Robin began to get himself into gear and followed Vlad back to the castle.

Once in the castle Vlad found a bandage and placed it on Bryn's leg. Robin disappeared.

Once the bandage was secured on her leg Bryn began to sense that Robin was missing. She told Vlad and Vlad began to look for him. He started within that room thinking that made he was trying to play a joke on them but he was no were to be seen. The only other place that Robin was likely to go without the company of Vlad himself, would've been Vlad's room. So Vlad traipsed the numerous stairs that led to his room and opened the door. sure enough Robin was there, sprawled across the bed gazing into the ornament that Vlad had given him.

He looked like he was close to tears.

"Robin? Are you ok?" Vlad asked quietly going over to the bed. He perched on the little space that Robin had left.

"Yeah." Robin said unconvincingly.

"You don't sound it or look it either." Vlad told him. Robin looked over at Vlad, putting the ornament down and shifting his position so he could see Vlad and talked to him easier.

"She loves you don't she?" Robin said taking Vlad of guard.

"What?"

"Bryn, she loves you doesn't she?" Robin repeated.

"Is this what this is all about?" Vlad said trying to digress from the subject.

"Just answer Vlad."

"OK, yes, yes she does." Robin sighed and sunk back onto the bed, he wiped away a tear. Vlad couldn't believe that he was watching Robin cry. Crying wasn't something that Robin did.

"You'll find someone else, Robin, I'm sure you will. Just not Bryn." Vlad said arising from the bed, feeling that Robin needed to be left alone for a while.

_Alright, I was rather disappointed to find that I only had one review for the last chapter, so I'm hoping that you all reading this will get the message and click that review button!_


	17. the sword of Dracula

Chapter 17

Bryn was still in the great hall, awaiting the arrival of her two best friends. It had been awhile now and she was starting to get a little edgy. The castle wasn't one of her favourite places to be even more so when she was alone. Despite the count's agreement she still didn't trust him and never would when Vlad wasn't there to prevent his father from feasting on her blood. And she was always consciously aware that Ingrid was lurking around somewhere and could do just as much damage to her without being a vampire yet, Bryn dreaded to think about the days when Ingrid was a full vampire.

Bryn didn't feel right, the room didn't feel right. It never did. But this was worse, felt like some else was in the room watching her. She slid of the table and left the room and quickly ascended the stairs trying to get as far away from the room as possible and closer to Vlad and Robin.

She met Vlad halfway through the corridor; she literally fell into his arms. Bryn had looked back still having the feeling that someone was following her and hadn't noticed that Vlad was in front of her and they collided.

"Watch it!" Vlad said catching her in his arms, as she realised who he was.

"Vlad! Sorry!" She said. Bryn looked up to Vlad. He sensed her uneasiness.

"You seem agitated." He observed making the statement seem as though it was a question.

"I keep getting that feeling that somebody's watching me. It's ok now it's gone." Bryn said feeling the tension leave her body and she began to relax.

Vlad hugged Bryn he glanced behind her as he did so, just in case there was something watching them. He couldn't see anything but he did feel the air slightly shift as if somebody had left the corridor and gone into a room.

The count sat, head held with his fingertips, in the depths of his large throne. He was tired, angry and thirsty.

"Ingrid!" he shouted, it took a while for his disobedient daughter to appear at the doorway an annoyed look about her face.

"What." She said with a loud, irritated tone.

"Get rid of the breather, I can't stand it no longer!" The count ordered his daughter.

"Go and tell Vlad that, it's probably one of his friends." Ingrid told her dad, turning in a huff to leave.

"INGRID!" the count shouted after her, sighing she pulled back into the room.

"Get one of them out, you know which one, the other I can just about bear." The count instructed. Ingrid left the room, her mind set for what she was going to do next.

Vlad pulled away from Bryn.

"Is Robin ok?" Bryn asked realising that their missing friend must still be within Vlad's room.

"Yeah, he just needs to be left alone for a while." Vlad said glancing back to his door.

"Something to do with what you had to talk about?" Bryn asked getting the picture.

"Yeah." Vlad agreed, he put his arm around her shoulders and guided her down the corridor.

They heard voices coming from the library and from the great hall the sound was amplified and with a little concentration Vlad and Bryn could make out the count's conversation with Ingrid. They caught the end of the conversation, 'get one of them out, the other I can bear.'

Vlad looked at Bryn they knew who the count was talking about.

"I'll go I get it the count means me." Bryn said she understood that apart from Vlad the whole of the Dracula family hated her, only the count would at least put up with her for the majority of time but from the sounds of it just not now. Bryn moved towards the door. Vlad grabbed her arm.

"No, don't leave just cause my dad said that." Vlad understood that this was a useless comment to make but he couldn't think of anything better.

"Vlad, you know I have to go, if your dad is thirsty and he sets eyes on me, I'll be lunch! Besides he's told Ingrid to get me out of the castle and I don't think she would be that kind." Bryn explained shaking Vlad's grip of her arm and exiting the room. Vlad followed, he hated the fact that it was always Bryn that his family seemed to dislike, when she was the one he wanted to spend more time with. Damn vampires! He thought as he hugged Bryn goodbye.

"Say goodbye to Robin for me." Bryn said, Vlad agreed to and watched sadly as she went down the path. He closed the door and slovenly meandered back up the stairs to see if Robin was ok.

The room was empty. Vlad searched every possible hiding place that he could have got into but there was no sign of Robin.

Thinking maybe in his absence Robin had gone down the stairs in search of him, Vlad raced back down the stairs, into the great hall, nothing. He moved into the kitchen, only Renfield was visible.

"Renfield have you seen Robin?" Vlad asked thinking that if Robin had gone this way Renfield would've been the first to notice.

"What, that boy, tall, black hair, looks like the master at times, that one?"

"Yes…" Vlad encouraged him.

"Then I haven't seen him." Vlad sighed getting information out of Renfield was always going to be marginally disappointing. Nevertheless Vlad carried on his search around the castle, ending up on the stairway that led to the crypt. Surely Robin wasn't down there, it was creepy and dark, well this is Robin so anything was a possibility. Vlad descended the steps, he was glad he had left the small torch in his pocket as the stairway had no light until you actually reached the crypt where there was candles constantly lit, ready for when the count decided to apparate into the room and find a coffin to sleep in.

Sure enough as Vlad entered the room he found Robin. He was sitting against a pillar fiddling with a piece of lose rock on one of the coffin bases.

"Robin, I've been looking all over for you, why are even here?" Vlad asked finding it strange as Vlad seldom took Robin anywhere near the crypt. Robin looked up, startled at Vlad's voice, he glanced around him.

"I don't know why I'm here." Robin said remembering that he had been in a daze when he had decided to go for a wander and vaguely recalled descending the stairs and ending up where he was sat now.

At the top of the stairs a swish could be heard and the sound of footsteps echoed on the stone steps as they came closer to the two boys.

"Arh playing in the crypt, Vladimir I'm touched, although it took you nearly fifteen years! I was playing in the crypt as soon as I could walk. It's the best place for starting the early vampire life." The count told his son.

"I'm not playing in the crypt I came here to find Robin." Vlad said indicating to his friend.

"Ah Robin, what brings you to the crypt, my resting place?" the count inquired of Robin.

Robin meanwhile had stood up and was peering into the interior of a stone container that could not have been a coffin as it was too small and square shape.

"Is there normally something in this?" Robin asked noticing the dust left a perfect thin rectangular shape.

"that is where the sword of the Dracula's is kept, why?" the count revelled in telling them it was the container from the family's legendry sword but then took in the content of Robin's sentence.

"That's interesting 'cause there's nothing in there…"

"WHAT!" the count shouted rushing over to where Robin was, peering in to the stone container. Vlad ambled over to see what the fuss was all about.

The count fingered the dust where the sword case would have been.

"ARH!" the count screamed into the rectangular casket. His cape swished and he was gone.

Vlad pulled Robin up and together they went in search of the count. Vlad was concerned at what could have happened to the family heirloom as he knew that his father would not rest until it was safely back in the stone container down in the crypt with the lid firmly closed on it.

They heard crashing noises coming from the great hall and immediately Vlad knew where his father was. The state of the room was appalling, drawers strewn across the table, chairs overturned, cupboards kicked over and the count was still going.

Vlad and Robin stepped carefully over the mess intent on following the count into the next room. They reached the doorway, Robin went straight through but Vlad paused, he could have sworn that he had saw someone in the corner but then maybe it was just his imagination running away with him.

Bryn was walking down the road, feeling rather put out. She had done the right thing in leaving the castle; she couldn't leave Vlad in a position where he had to use force to get his father away from her. It wasn't what was supposed to happen in ordinary family situations, although this was nothing like an ordinary family situation. Bryn hated the fact that it was always her that had to leave; Robin could stay because he acted as though he was a vampire and so didn't drive to much attention to the count's sensitive nose.

She was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed Chloe walking towards her.

"Hey! Is Robin in the castle?" Chloe asked. Bryn shook her head, coming out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh hi Chloe, yeah his still there." Bryn informed Chloe. Chloe sighed she hated the thought of having to go into the castle and grudgingly began walking towards the castle.

"Chloe, don't." Bryn stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"Mum told me to go and find him and tell him to come home." Chloe explain uncomprehending what Bryn was on about.

"The count's thirsty." Bryn told her.

"That's alright… oh right." Chloe now understood.

"I'll come with you." Bryn offered, turning around to join Chloe. She couldn't let Chloe go into the castle on her own, not with the count feeling like he was right now and knowing that she hated going into the castle anyway. Chloe was all too glad to have company on her mission to find her brother and accepted the offer straight away.

Vlad and Robin found themselves watching as the next room got destroyed in Vlad's father's effort to find the missing family heirloom. Again belongings found themselves thrown haphazardly on the floor. When it became evident that there was nothing to be found, the count slammed a book on the floor, while crying in rage. Vlad and Robin could feel the effects of the slam as it vibrated through the floor.

Something flickered out the corner of Vlad's eye, he had been aware of it the whole time they had been in the room. He was beginning to have a feeling that he wasn't going to like when he found out what it was that kept so far into the shadows.

"Vlad?" Vlad heard his name being shouted. He hesitated in reacting for he had thought that Bryn had left.

"Robin?" that was a different voice.

"Bryn?" Vlad said.

"Chloe?" Robin said in more of a confused tone then Vlad. To satisfy both boys confusion they left the room following the sound of the voices.

They came face to face with the two girls.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?" Robin asked feeling that the best way to get over his pain was to acknowledge Bryn's presence yet not speak directly to her.

"Getting you home," Chloe answered making sure she got her point across. Robin sighed he didn't feel like going home and being scrutinized as he was forced to open his presents in front of his parents and, more often than not, pretend that he liked them so as not to disappoint them. Yet Robin felt obliged to obey his parents command as sending his sister up to get him meant that they knew he couldn't disobey because he had no one to argue his point with.

So Robin, Chloe, Vlad and Bryn made their way back to the door.

"How come you're here too?" Vlad whispered in Bryn's ear, he had placed himself so that Robin and Chloe where in front of them, so Robin wouldn't notice.

"Couldn't let Chloe come on her own not when you dad…"

"He's a bit occupied at the moment, found out the family sword has gone walkabouts! Don't think his mind's completely on blood at the moment." Vlad explained within two seconds the goings on which had taken about 15 minutes of their time.

"Missing? Well I hope you find it for you sanity's sake!" Bryn joked. Vlad took her hand in his and smiled at her.

Robin and Chloe had reached the door and Chloe was struggling to open it. Robin shoved his sister out the way regarding the problem to be her lack of strength but Robin couldn't open it either no matter how hard he tried.

Vlad let go of Bryn's hand and pushed through Robin and tried to open the big double doors. He couldn't even with his strength.

"Maybe someone locked it." Chloe suggested. Vlad couldn't think of a feasible reason for why someone would lock the door, but maybe they had.

Vlad made his way back through the corridor to the great hall where to his surprise he found his father standing, apparently in a better mood then he had been.

"Dad, do you have the key to the front door?" Vlad asked, feeling his friends come up behind him.

"I never lock the door, so I never know where the key is!" the count commented a little confused by his son's question but he disregarded it quickly.

Putting an arm around Vlad and Robin's shoulder's he began to walk further into the great hall.

"So how do you children feel about helping me out a little? I intend to search the whole castle, for that sword and I was wondering if you four would help out." Vlad had to check that he was still in the real world and not in some dream; the count was asking them for help!

"Sure we'll help!" Robin said on behalf of everyone, whether or not they agreed was irrelevant.

"Where do you want us to start?" Vlad asked feeling it to be the best idea to go along with it.

"I thought we'd start at the top and work our way down." The count told them, guiding them up the stairs.

"RENFIELD!" The count shouted back. A scurrying noise could be heard telling them Renfield was behind them.

"Sort out the mess in the front two rooms." The count ordered.

"Yes master." Renfield said and dolefully went to carry out his task.

They started in the attic, rummaging round although Vlad felt that it was pointless for it couldn't possibly be in the attic, it was too far away from the crypt to be a possible place.

"You don't suppose Ingrid has it do you? She's the sort of person who would do that." Chloe thought aloud.

"Yeah, she's the first person I'd suspect." Bryn agreed. The count thought about it for a while and then shouted for Ingrid down the stairs.

5 minutes later, footsteps could be heard and Ingrid turned into the attic, she looked suspiciously worried. The count plainly asked her if she had seen the sword and she seem to relax, the worried look leaving her face, she hadn't be caught out, it was that that they were talking about.

"No, I haven't seen any sort of sword." Ingrid told them. "Is that all you want me for?"

The count stamped his foot, and then dismissed Ingrid. She turned sharply and walked out of the door, a key dangling form a ribbon tied to her skirt. Chloe nudged Bryn, but she had already spotted it.

"I thought as much!" Bryn commented. Locking the door when the count had just announced that he was thirsty seemed like something Ingrid would do.

The count swished his cape around him it was more of a statement move than usual, and apparated. Robin watched the count with great interested as he was the only one to notice his disappearance.

"Ingrid locked the door." Chloe announced. Vlad glared at the door where Ingrid had departed from. He was beginning to despise his sister even more then he already did.

"The count apparated." Robin informed them. Chloe looked around as if she didn't believe him and was just checking he was right, he was of course.

Vlad sighed and headed out the door, Bryn followed. Chloe getting the idea tagged along behind Bryn. Robin was the last to leave he was in the kind of mood where he had to take everything slowly to give himself time to think.

They congregated downstairs in the great hall, where it didn't take long to decipher where the count had gone.

He was in the kitchen. Probably irritating Renfield for something he never did, or had failed to do.

The four friends moved into the kitchen, sure enough there was the count and Renfield preparing the Dracula's family dinner.

"Renfield, the family sword has gone missing and I do not intend to rest until it is returned to its rightfull place…"

"Would that be this sword, Master?" Renfield asked picking up a long oblong box from the corner of the kitchen and showing it to the count.

"I was going to have it cleaned; it got a bit dusty you see…"

"RENFIELD! You mean to say I have been looking all over for that sword and you had all along! Erg! If I had any sense I would have drained you long ago!" the count shouted.

"No, please not that Master!" Renfield pleaded.

"You wouldn't taste nice anyway! Go dust my coffin, and Ingrid…" the count's acute hearing told him that Ingrid was by the door.

"You have full permission to give Renfield any orders you wish!" the count granted her, despite Renfield's pleads. It was not often that the count gave her permission to do anything, but this was an exception, Renfield needed to be punished and the thing he hated most was running after Ingrid.

_Come on, where's all the reviews? I am nearing the end of this story and would appreciate a few more reviews as it comes to a close._


	18. 16 and deadly

Chapter 18

Ingrid jumped out of bed; she was extremely excited for she knew full well what would be happing in this day. She threw on her clothes and hurried down the stairs.

"Where's my breakfast, Renfield?" she asked, none too politely.

"Just coming Mistress Ingrid!" Renfield said, quickly adding the cutlery to his tray of plates.

"Happy birthday Mistress Ingrid!" he announced placing the first plate in front of Ingrid. She grinned for today was her sixteenth birthday, the day she would become a full vampire.

Vlad sighed as he joined the table; he had been dreading this day almost as much as he dreaded his own sixteenth. After today Ingrid would be uncontrollable and, more importantly, deadly. The thing Vlad was most worried about was when Ingrid came in to contact, after she had transformed, with Bryn. Would she try to drain her? Would she try to hurt her again? Vlad wished he knew the answers to these questions, then if it was ok he wouldn't have to worry so much when Ingrid transformed.

A door flew open, as if a great gust of wind had forced it open.

"I trust my luggage is already here!" a female voice said through the echo of the door slamming.

"MUM!" Ingrid exclaimed rising from her chair.

"Well, you didn't think I would miss you Sixteenth birthday did you?" Magda replied, flicking her hair away from her eyes.

Renfield came into the room carrying two glasses of lemonade (Vlad had purposely gone out and brought a big bottle of lemonade because he was fed up with Renfield making blackcurrant juice that was too strong and without a doubt way out of date!) he almost dropped them when he noticed Magda standing in front of him.

"Er… Mistress… what can I do for you?" Renfield stammered putting the glasses on the table before he really did drop them.

"Go and check my luggage, I sent it ahead not sure if it got here… oh and don't tell the count I'm here yet!" Magda ordered. Renfield scurried off to check the luggage had arrived and Magda turned back to her two children.

"Now, how is everyone?" Magda asked, not really bothered about the replies.

"Fine." Vlad mumbled as the rest of his cereal (another item Vlad had purchased by himself, for himself.)

"What is this stuff?" his mother asked him, picking up his bowl and staring at its contents.

"Cereal." Vlad told her snatching the bowl back so he could actually finish his breakfast.

"Cereal, another 'breather' thing?" Magda commented, more angry at him for it then she was worried this time.

The count meanwhile had walked in, he noticed Magda and walked straight back out again. Unfortunately the vampire senses are very acute and Magda had heard him very clearly. She left her children to finish their breakfast and followed the count.

The count had his back against the wall, hoping that he was 'invisible'.

"Darling, do you really think you can hide from me?" Magda asked, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"I was just having a little rest… what are you doing here, Magda?" the count replied trying to act casual.

"It's Ingrid's coming of age birthday, or did you forget?" Magda asked accusingly.

"Of course I didn't, what do you take me for?" the count defended himself. The truth was he actually had forgotten Ingrid's birthday.

"Well, I'm going to school." Vlad announced standing up and grabbing his school bag. He headed to the door and was about to open it when it was opened for him and in his way stood a tall man, dressed in attire not that different to his father's.

"Arh little Vladimir, I hope my son has arrived safely?" it was Vlad's uncle, the count's brother.

"My cousin hasn't arrived, uncle." Vlad told him. he began to get the feeling of being followed, someone was behind him.

"I'm here Dad, I have been for several days." The voice came from behind him. Vlad looked behind him, in plain view his cousin stood, the culprit of the weird feelings that both Vlad and Bryn had felt.

"Good, good, now where's your father?" Vlad's uncle asked of him.

"Oh somewhere." Vlad flung his hand behind him, showing that he didn't really know or care where his father was right now.

Vlad pushed past his uncle, he wanted to get out of the castle and off to school, especially as the castle was now full of his vampire relatives. He found himself face to face with his aunt.

"Where are you going, my little nephew?" she asked in a most intimidating way.

"School." Vlad replied pushing past her as well. He heard his aunt gasp and tell her husband where his nephew was going. Vlad ran. If his uncle had anything to do with it he would be forced to stay in the castle for the rest of the day.

It was a big relief when Vlad made it out the door and down the path without so much of a hint of being followed.

He met Bryn and Robin at the gate, he was late and they had decided to wait for him at school rather than at Robin's house.

"Hi, sorry I'm late, urh Ingrid's birthday and visitors arrived…"

"Oo oo what sort of visitors?" Robin asked eagerly.

"My aunt and uncle, my mother, oh and Bryn I think I found the cause of the mysterious follower, apparently my cousin has been around the castle for a while, without anyone knowing." Vlad said. Robin looked at Vlad and then at Bryn, she shuddered. The idea of the 'feeling' to be a real person disturbed her, especially as she had felt it's presence for quite some time around the castle.

"You mean there are like, three extra vampires in the castle?" Robin said excitedly.

"Four, my cousin is sixteen." Vlad added.

"Cool!" Robin exclaimed.

"You can't come to the castle tonight it's too dangerous." Vlad told them depleting Robin's excitement. He had been looking forward to meeting with some more vampires.

Vlad heard the bell ring and led the way through the gate. He paused as they caught up with him and then they walked together, towards the school. Vlad, without thinking, put his arm around Bryn's waist. She flinched at first then she relaxed and put her own arm around his shoulders, they stayed in this position until they reached the classroom door.

Robin only just noticed what they were doing, when they entered the classroom before him and let go of each other in order to get through the door. Robin felt a little fluffy inside on seeing his friends like that, despite how much he felt jealous.

At the end of the day Robin and Bryn walked home by themselves and Vlad walked back to the castle grudgingly. He was worried about how Ingrid would turn out as a vampire and hated the thought of spending an evening with the whole of his family.

Vlad pushed open the door and slipped in, he intended to enter the castle unnoticed for a while, while he finished his homework. He felt the sensation of someone watching him.

"Alright, alright you don't need to do that anymore!" Vlad shouted into the shadows. Out of the shadows stepped Vlad's cousin.

"Seriously! What is it with that?" Vlad asked him.

"With what little cousin?" he replied.

"With hiding in the shadows and following us!" Vlad said.

"It is natural, Vladimir, for a proper vampire to keep well hidden."

"Well, Dimitri, you seemed to have failed, for both me and my friend have been noticing you around the place." Vlad replied, turning to leave.

"Your breather friend? Don't you just wanna bite her!" Dimitri said in a light-hearted fanciful way.

Vlad immediately turned straight back round.

"Don't you even dare!" he shouted at Dimitri. Dimitri gave an evil-ish laugh reminding Vlad that he was not a vampire and so therefore did not stand a chance against him. Vlad chose to ignore this statement and continued on out the door and up the stairs. Dimitri left the room but didn't follow Vlad up the stairs; instead he went into the great hall.

The adult members of the family was gathered around one end of the table. It seems they were making plans for Ingrid's transformation party. The count was not interested and seldom put forward any ideas, just agreeing with their plans and wondering when the day would end. The count's brother was a little more forward with ideas but was not overly interested in the current subject for the party. It seemed that only the women where interested in creating a good party for their niece/daughter. They had invited several young vampires that they knew of, not too many as it was only the daughter's birthday (for the son, the heir, it would be a much bigger party).

The muttering stopped when Ingrid walked into the room. Magda greeted her.

"Ingrid, darling, are you ready?"

"I've been ready for most of the day, mum!" Ingrid told her.

"Well then let the transformation begin!" it was Ingrid's uncle who said this.

"To the crypt!" this was her aunt. The family began to file out of the great hall. The count paused at the stairs.

"VLADIMIR!" he shouted up the stairs, there was no answer as the castle was vast and the hallway very long. Annoyed the count apparated up into his son's room.

Vlad was lying on his bed, mp3 player in his ears, reading a magazine, when the count appeared infont of him. Vlad jumped up.

"Dad?" He said, surprised.

"Why didn't you answer me when I called?" the count demanded to know.

Vlad took out his earphones.

"Huh?" Vlad said. The count took a deep breath in to avoid flying at Vlad the day had been tedious enough without Vlad making him repeat himself.

"Your sister is about to undergo her transformation, you, as part of this family, will join us in the ceremony!" the count said a little too loud but restrained from shouting.

"Ok, ok I'm coming!" Vlad said trying to calm his father's anger. Both the count and Vlad apparated, ending up reasonably near the crypt.

Vlad's aunt, uncle and mother were standing outside the little room coming off the crypt, in which all transformations took place. Ingrid was already inside the room. The count swiftly stood beside Magda, Vlad grudgingly joined him wondering vaguely where Dimitri was. As if answering his thoughts Vlad felt a presence behind him.

"Dimitri, really stop doing that!" Vlad whispered.

"Why, scared, little cousin?" Dimitri whispered back menacingly.

"Shut up." Vlad told him. They had been waiting a while and it seemed that the door was finaly opening, to reveal the vampire version of Ingrid.

She didn't look much different apart from the fangs obviously. She looked slightly paler but other than that she still looked like normal.

"Darling?" Magda ventured.

"I'm a vampire, a proper vampire." Ingrid announced.


	19. temptation is just too much!

Chapter 19

The festivities got underway, the guests arrived and the party started. Vlad kept out the way, there were too many vampires in the room for Vlad's comfort. The count sat on his throne bored and Vlad wandered over to him at least there was someone other than Dimitri to talk to, his cousin was ok, reasonable for a vampire but he still freaked Vlad out a lot, he didn't know whether or not he was having him on or being generally serious.

They watched the young vampires as they danced.

"With any luck Ingrid will find a suitable vampire to become her husband and then she can leave the castle and it will just be me and you Vladimir!" the count told him. Suddenly Vlad didn't want Ingrid to leave the castle, life with just his dad and him seemed not worth letting his older, evil sister leave. Think of all the days he would have to spend not going to school, and instead learning all the vampire traits and spending the whole day under the watchful eye of his father!

Vlad started to watch his sister more closely, no way was she going to find love and leave him to the mercy of his dad.

Eventually the party ended and the guests started to file out the castle. No sign of Ingrid falling in love with anyone.

Vlad went to bed satisfied that he was not going to lose Ingrid to anyone just yet.

The next day he met Ingrid in the great hall. Vlad observed his sister for a while, he wasn't sure how to react to her now she was a vampire.

"Still going to that breather school?" Ingrid asked.

"Yeah, I suppose you have to give it up now cause of the sunlight" Vlad said realizing it was basically stating the obvious.

"Of course! Glad to!" Ingrid said bearing her fangs at her brother.

"What would you like for breakfast this morning Mistress Ingrid?" Renfield asked not sure what to prepare for her.

"Just a glass of the finest!" she said. Renfield opened his mouth to ask what she meant by that when it dawned on him that she meant blood.

The count walked through the door, his face showing why he didn't live with Magda.

"Darling, you really should get some of this woodwork seen to, it's practically rotting away!" she exclaimed.

"Good maybe you'll rot away with it!" the count muttered. Vlad grabbed his school bag; he didn't want to stay a moment longer if that's how they were going to be. He decided he'd get something from the shop rather than risk Renfield's cooking, he said goodbye but it was lost in the loud argument so Vlad just left.

It was the middle of the day and Ingrid was struggling to control her young vampire cravings. She had been at a slight loss at what to do with herself now she no longer had to go to school; all she could think about was fulfilling her growing hunger.

Magda was still in the castle going about correcting every little thing she could find with the castle and then proceeding to tell the count, who would then either ignore it or tell Renfield to go and sort it out. The count was spending the day walking away from Magda, trying to find something useful to do that would make Magda leave him alone. He couldn't wait for nightfall to come so he could oust Magda out of his home.

Ingrid wandered from room to room. She felt lost. Her parents were too busy bickering with each other to come over to their daughter and give her guidance to vampire life. How was she meant to learn if her parents told her nothing about the way that she should live?

Ingrid heard the door open and a sudden rush of hunger swept through her body. She could smell the blood, she wanted it so badly. Ingrid began to follow the scent.

Vlad brought his friends into the great hall, he felt lumbered with his school bag so he told them that he would just go and put it up in his room. He would only be two seconds and he was sure that Robin and Bryn could look out for each other if Ingrid where to come their way.

But Robin being Robin didn't get this and decided that putting his school bag out the way was a good idea and so followed Vlad up the stairs.

Bryn sighed; she had turned round to find both Vlad and Robin gone. Robin never seemed to remember that she hated being left alone in the castle, it was alright when either Robin or Vlad was with her she felt protected then. Bryn put her bag on the long table and unzipped it, if she was going to be left alone she might as well spend the time reading the next bit of her book.

She had just about zipped her bag up again when Ingrid appeared at the door. Her eyes were fixed onto Bryn, the eyes where a deep red. Bryn knew that look and she didn't like the look of it.

Using her skill of speed to reach Bryn, Ingrid grabbed Bryn's arm and tugged her away from the table. Bryn struggled trying to get her arms free. Her right arm wriggled out of Ingrid's grasp and Bryn use it to try and push Ingrid away from her but Bryn found it awkward to put so much force into one arm when the left arm was also struggling to get free and it didn't help that Ingrid was so much stronger then she was.

Ingrid managed to keep hold on Bryn's left arm and re-grabbed her left arm. She was trapped. Ingrid's eyes shifted to a light red. Her fangs protruded below her lips. Ingrid pulled Bryn's head back to reveal her pale neck. There was nothing that Bryn could do.

Vlad dumped his bag on his bed and was surprised when Robin threw his bag next to Vlad's.

"Robin!" Vlad exclaimed.

"What?" Robin said.

"I thought you were going to stay with Bryn!" Vlad reminded him.

"But… she's alright!" Robin said.

"She won't be if Ingrid comes in!" Vlad told him.

"Yeah but, oh sorry." Robin said realizing what he had done. Vlad shook his head in disbelief, sometimes Robin was exasperating.

"Come on!" Vlad told Robin, tugging his jacket as he exited the room.

They reached the great hall in time to see Ingrid pierce her fangs into Bryn's smooth skin. Vlad stopped in the middle of the doorway, fear paralysed him as he realised his worst nightmare had come true.

Robin, on the other hand, pushed past Vlad and charged straight at Ingrid. He knocked Ingrid over, landing on top of her. Ingrid hissed at Robin her eyes were still red but a deep shade of red, the hunger was subsiding and the urge to fight was taking its place.

Meanwhile, while Robin continued to fight with Ingrid, Vlad gently caught Bryn as she fell; he lifted her up and placed her in a chair. She was so pale, that Vlad was very, very concerned. He didn't know how far Ingrid had taken the biting and was worried it had gone too far.

Robin blocked Ingrid's punches and tried to stop her kicking him but he knew he couldn't hold her there for much longer, she was, despite her weakness for blood, still very strong and although Robin had had the upper hand when he had unexpectedly pounced on her, Ingrid was starting to take the upper hand back and if he didn't do something soon Robin would be next on the lunch menu!

Robin scrambled around trying to find anything that he could use in defence, he didn't dare leave his gaze of her and quickly grabbed the first thing that came into his hands and rammed it into Ingrid's shoulder. She stopped struggling and her body started convulsing. Robin looked down to his hand; he was holding a shard of wood previously used as a table or chair leg. He had practically just staked Ingrid.

Vlad crouched next to the chair; he had both Bryn's hands in his own and was trying desperately to make her respond his voice. Bryn had her eyes open yet she had no strength to say or do anything, although Vlad's voice was crystal clear in her ear she could give him any sign that she could hear him.

Vlad examine her neck. He was pretty certain that the bite was not so deep that it was fatal, just enough to make her very ill for the time being.

"Vlad…" Robin said standing up with a gaping mouth, repulsed at what he had done.

"Vlad!" Robin said a bit louder.

"Vlad!" Robin twisted his upper body, to make sure that Vlad had heard him.

"What?" Vlad asked annoyed, He looked up from examining Bryn's bite. Robin waved his hand gesturing for him to come here. Sighing Vlad walked over and stood next to Robin.

"What?" Vlad repeated, Robin pointed to Ingrid. Suddenly Vlad's attitude changed. He bent down and removed the shard of wood from Ingrid's shoulder, her body began to relax now the poison object was out of her body, but she was completely unresponsive slowly fading away.

"Quick, pass me the bat's blood from the shelf!"Vlad ordered Robin. Robin gave him a questioning look. Did he really just say 'bat's blood'?

"Robin! Now Please!" Vlad urged. Shaking his head, Robin went over to the shelf, found the bottle labelled 'BAT BLOOD' and took it back to Vlad. Vlad opened the bottled, discarded the lid and poured half the contents into Ingrid's wound.

"How's that meant to help?" Robin asked eager to brush up his knowledge on the vampiric ways.

"Bat's blood helps to restore injuries made to a vampire, especially ones involving wood!" Vlad explained. Robin absorbed the information wondering why he had never known this before, being that he knew an extortionate amount about vampires.

"Where'd you learn that?" Robin asked.

"Read it in one of the books in the library, got bored one day." Vlad replied still attending to Ingrid's wound.

Slight grunts of pain came from Bryn. She had found her voice or at least enough to announce that she was still there in pain. Robin heard her and left Vlad to heal Ingrid's wounds while he went over to Bryn.

"Hey!" Robin said gently.

"Huh…Vlad?" Bryn asked confused as she had not realised Robin was in the room and the last voice she had heard had been Vlad's.

"No, it's Robin, Vlad's seeing to Ingrid… I kinda staked her but she's alright!" Robin joked. Bryn smiled but couldn't force a laugh out. It hurt too much.

As Vlad finished pouring the Bat's blood into Ingrid's wound, she began to show signs of life. Her eyelids started to flutter and she groaned. Vlad hoisted her up onto a nearby stall. She was heavier then Bryn but nothing that Vlad couldn't handle. Confident that Ingrid was now ok; Vlad left her and went over to Bryn.

Vlad stood behind her chair. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Robin looked up at Vlad, he let the jealous feelings subside and began to feel happy for his two best friends.

"You ok?" Vlad asked, now that she could reply to him.

"Yeah, I think so." Bryn replied.

"I think we oughta get you home." Vlad suggested. Bryn nodded in agreement, she didn't particularly want to leave her friends but in this case she was very happy to go home.

"You too Robin." Vlad added watching Robin's face crease with surprise/worry wondering if Vlad had actually meant it but then he looked at Vlad's serious expression and knew that he really did mean it.

"Robin I don't want another friend hurt." Vlad told him. Robin didn't move.

"I think you should listen to him Robin, he has a point." Bryn said softly. Robin sighed, he seemed to be persuaded by Bryn's input.

"I'll go and get my bag then." Robin said sadly, sniffing to add sympathy. With his head hung low, Robin led them out into the hallway. Vlad was supporting Bryn and had her school bag on his shoulder.

Robin headed off towards the stairs but was halted by an apparating Countess.

"Leaving so soon?" Magda asked.

"Yeah, so could I get my bag please countess?" Robin asked politely. Magda hissed at Robin and Robin backed away.

"Mum!"Vlad exclaimed stopping her in her tracks.

"Arh my dear Vladimir, where is Ingrid?" Magda said covering her original thoughts.

"In the great hall, she's… er not feeling too well." Vlad replied not wanting to mention anything about staking in case it got his mother angry. Magda apparated, making Robin disorientated as he adjusted to the difference.

"We'll meet you by the gate, it's gonna take that long to get there!" Vlad told Robin trying to make a failed joke of the matter. Robin bounded up the stairs and Vlad escorted Bryn out of the door and carefully down the path.

Chrysantia open the door to her daughter and her friends, she was surprise at her daughter's pale colouring.

"Bryn! What's wrong?" Chrysantia ushered her daughter, along with Vlad and Robin into the house.

Vlad gently helped Bryn onto the sofa as Chrysantia went to get her a drink of water.

Vlad kept his arm around Bryn for support. Robin perched on the arm of the sofa, putting his arm around Bryn's shoulders.

Chrysantia walked in holding a glass of water shakily, she gave it to Bryn who sipped it quietly and slowly.

"What's wrong dear?" Chrysantia asked pulling up a chair to sit closer to her daughter. She had noticed that both boys had their arms around Bryn and had thought it cute that they both cared for her daughter so much.

Bryn looked at Vlad unsure of what to say.

"She had a dizzy spell and we thought we ought to bring her home." Vlad said saving having to explain that Ingrid had bitten her.

Chrysantia easily brought this theory as Bryn had become prone to dizzy spells ever since her time in hospital, which was the main reason that whenever Bryn was ill, Chrysantia would be very overprotective and concerned because she was worried that her daughter would end up in hospital again.

Vlad and Robin left Bryn in the care off her mother. They began to walk to Robin's house.

"I'm worried Robin, I'm worried that Bryn's…" Vlad hesitated not wanting to put his thoughts in to words.

"What, that the bite is going to transform her?" Robin asked he had been musing on the same question for most of the journey from the castle.

"Yeah, I mean we don't know how long Ingrid had been feeding on her." Vlad said hating every word that he spoke about the subject.

"I don't think it was long, Ingrid was very weak, I wouldn't have been able to tackle her otherwise." Robin reminded him. Vlad nodded, his sister was strong without processing any vampire qualities and so technically Robin shouldn't have been able to defeat her so easily. The only way that would actually happen was if she was too weak from hunger.

"I think we ought to keep an eye just in case." Vlad told Robin. He was concerned that the effects may not be immediate and it may be possible that in a few days' time Bryn may show signs of transforming into a vampire.

"Yeah just in case." Robin agreed. They had reached the Branning's home and so Vlad said goodbye to Robin and watched him disappear into the house.

When Robin had completely vanished from Vlad's sight, Vlad began to walk slowly back to the castle. He doted on Robin's theory and hoped that for once he was actually right. Vlad couldn't begin to wonder what he would do if he was wrong.

_Officially only three chapters to go! Though I am tempted to go over that mark… no… I have set the boundaries._


	20. honesty is the best policy

Chapter 20

Bryn was ill for a total of three days, by then she was back at school seemingly back to normal. Ingrid was bedridden for a whole week, she was very weak and no one seemed to be all that caring. Renfield would bring her food and drink and Vlad would occasionally go and see her but other than that she was left to fend for herself.

It was one of those rare moments when Vlad visited his sister. He brought up Ingrid's dinner, to give him a good reason for visiting her.

"Hey, brought your dinner." Vlad said placing the plate on the bedside cabinet. Ingrid turned over to see what Vlad had brought her. She avoided Vlad's glance, she said nothing, just took the plate and the fork and began eating the rabbit.

Vlad paused for a while seeing if Ingrid was going to say anything when it was clear she was going to stay mute, Vlad left. It was time for him to go to school anyway.

English, First lesson of the day. Vlad unpacked his bag and waited for Robin and Bryn. They were late and he wasn't prepared to stand outside in the cold weather waiting for them.

Eventually after the bell had gone in rolled Robin and Bryn; Bryn looked tear-stained and Robin didn't exactly look his usually happy self.

"What's wrong?" Vlad whispered to Robin as he took his seat next to Vlad.

"Tell you later." Robin said as Bryn sat down on the other side of Vlad.

"Robin Branning, you come in late and now you've disrupted my lesson! Be quiet or you'll be in detention!" Mrs Halswood told Robin.

Robin hung his head; he hadn't meant to disrupt the class, which is why he hadn't told Vlad right there and then. He got out his English book and pencil case and got on the lesson.

Bryn wasn't concentrating; she hadn't got anything out of her bag and sat there with nothing in front of her for the beginning of the lesson until Vlad noticed.

Vlad reached down and got out Bryn's English book and pencil case from her bag as it was clear she wasn't going to do it herself. He put the book in front of her, gently tapping her to wake her up.

"Bryn?" Vlad whispered.

"Huh?" Bryn answered, having not heard a word of what was said throughout the lesson.

"I help you with your work…" Vlad offered knowing that she didn't have a clue what was going on. Vlad was concerned about whatever happened before they got into school and was determined to find out what it was all about or at least comfort them both until he found out.

"No, I'll do it." Bryn said taking her pencil case away from Vlad. Vlad looked at her wondering what the hell had gotten into her. Bryn didn't flinch; she didn't turn to face Vlad and instead ignored him completely and copied out the question from the board. Vlad was going to try again when Robin tapped him.

"Don't, leave her for a while." Robin told Vlad. Vlad did as Robin told him, hoping that soon this whole thing would be explained to him.

It was break and Vlad was eagerly waiting for Robin's reason.

"So?" Vlad started. He had noticed that Bryn hadn't joined them; she had gone instead with Chloe to the art room to help finish her project.

"Well, Bryn came to my house this morning and I asked if she was ok and if she had felt anything 'different', she didn't know what I meant so I told her that you told me that you think that there is a possibility that she could have been transformed with Ingrid's bite. She was having that and argued that you would've told her if you had thought so, so I argued that you didn't tell her because you weren't sure, but she didn't believe me and kept on (by this time she was almost crying) I got angry and said 'he told me not you Bryn, so there isn't any need for this!' course that got her angry and she hit me, I then realized what I done and tried to apologize, we both ended up crying." Robin gasped he had said nearly the whole explanation on one breath.

"Oh Robin!" Vlad sighed. "Now we both have to go and apologize and explain ourselves" Vlad got up and urged Robin to follow.

Bryn silently got the paints from the cupboard and let Chloe pour some of them onto the pallet and use the brush to mix it together. She perched herself on the stool next to Chloe, deep in thought.

"What's up?" Chloe asked having picked up on the fact that Bryn was not her usual bubbly self.

"I had an argument, I think, with your brother." Bryn answered her voice was faraway, high into the clouds.

"My brother, arguing! I never thought he had it in him!" Chloe remarked.

"He certainly knows how to make me confused." Bryn added as her mind tried to comprehend her emotions.

"Huh... Ow!" Chloe hit her arm on the table while trying to get the blue paint out of the pot. Bryn took the paint off her and undid the lid, then scraped a good dollop out and placed it on the pallet.

"Thanks." Chloe said taking the paintbrush and dipping it into the paint and began painting it smoothly onto her board.

Bryn opened her mouth to explain what she meant when she heard voices coming up to the art room and she knew who it was.

Vlad came into the room, Bryn immediately tried to busy herself with mixing the blue paint with the white a creating her favourite shade of her favourite colour.

Chloe stopped painting to say hi to Vlad, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Bryn didn't react. She wondered momentarily what was wrong but then, when Vlad ignored her and seemed to be on a mission to get to Bryn, she couldn't help but think that their argument had been about Vlad and Bryn was angry at both her friends.

"Bryn, we need to talk." Vlad said. Bryn looked up at Vlad it was clear that she was hurt yet there was still an element that felt softly for him.

"Could you come outside?" Vlad asked being as nice as he possibly could to make up for Robin's mishap. Bryn looked reluctant but Vlad gave her a pleading look and she obliged.

Robin was waiting outside for them, he hadn't ventured inside the art room because he feared that if Bryn was angrier at him then Vlad, then when she saw him she would be less likely to cooperate when they attempted to give an explanation. It didn't seem to make a blind bit of difference, for Bryn wasn't entirely sure why she was angry at them and treated them both with the same faraway expression.

"Bryn, um, well I know you're angry at us but let us explain." Vlad started. Bryn didn't say anything so Vlad continued.

"I did tell Robin that, but I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to get worried so I asked Robin to look out for anything unusual and not to tell you unless we had evidence to go with our suspicions." Vlad glared at Robin before changing his expression and turning back to Bryn. "There has been nothing to suggest that you are in any way affected by the bite so I think we can safely say that you are ok and no longer need us to look out for you" Vlad concluded.

Bryn looked Vlad in the eye and then turned away.

"I would have preferred it if you had told me, Instead of letting it get like this." Bryn said quietly.

"I didn't want you to be upset." Vlad said. Bryn looked back up at him. She could see the genuine apologetic look within his eye and couldn't rightly stay mad at him.

"I'm sorry." Bryn said not knowing what else to say.

"It's alright." Vlad replied, enfolding her in his arms. Bryn let herself be hugged before eventually hugging him back. They broke the hug short satisfied that they were now friends again.

Bryn noticed how Robin looked a little jealous. She brought Vlad closer to Robin and she hugged both her friends at the same time.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you both, you're the bestest friends that I could have." Bryn said.

Robin and Vlad put an arm around Bryn, hugging her back. It was an awkward position but they didn't mind, the only thing that concerned them slightly was the fact that their hands touched reminding them that the hug was signifying their friendship rather than anything else.

_Quite a short chapter this time but the next two chapters will hopefully make up for it! Please review for there is only two more chapters left and I have been getting only one review for a number of recent chapters and would appreciate some more. _


	21. promises, preparations and worries

_Well when I said it was going to be a long chapter, I didn't expect it to be this long! Well enjoy your extra extra long chapter._

**Chapter 21**

Robin opened the door to the castle and slipped through. What he expected to be the corridor turn out to be the cell in the dungeons that he vividly remembered the fire and Bryn lying unconscious with it blazing around her. Not wanting to remember any more, Robin quickly ran out of the door. He found himself exactly where he had started. Confused, Robin opened the door again and stepped through, believing the whole incident to be a trick of his mind.

This time he found himself on the staircase that led to the crypt. Again confused, Robin found the door and quickly leaped out. He ended up in the driveway facing the open air. Robin slowly turned back towards the door. He glared at it as he opened the door once again. He closed his eyes and stepped in.

Slowly opening his eyes in the hope of finding himself in the correct place, he took a look around him, he was in a corridor alright but it was no corridor that he had seen before.

'Must be somewhere in the dungeon' Robin thought. But he wasn't going to stay. He had kept hold of the door as he walked in so he could walk straight back out again if he wasn't in the right place. He shut the door behind him.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Robin shouted. He hadn't noticed that Bryn had been walking up the path, at this point, and was now pretty much behind him.

"What's ridiculous?" Bryn asked startling Robin.

"Er… well every time I walk through the door I end up in a different place! It's messing with me, Bryn." Bryn frowned trying to decipher Robin's whine into something that made sense.

"Robin, Robin calm down. Let's go in together." Bryn said.

"But it won't let me!" Robin moaned. Bryn opened the door, grabbed Robin and pushed him in ahead of her; she closed the door behind them.

"See, its dark like it usually is!" Bryn said, Robin sighed, it was just his luck that it would turn out to be in the right place AFTER he told someone, now Bryn wouldn't believe him.

"Now if we just find the door, we can…oh!" Bryn fumbled around in the place where the door should've been, she found nothing, not even a wall. Confused Bryn stepped backwards into Robin, he yelped and Bryn was quick to apologize.

As if answering both their mental question of 'where were they' the torches suddenly set themselves alight, showing Bryn and Robin the way down the long corridor.

"Ok Robin, I see what you mean!" Bryn said. Robin didn't take any notice to Bryn's comment, he was too intrigued by the torches and the long winding corridor.

"Cool!" he muttered as he started to walk slowly along the corridor.

"Robin, wait, don't run off." Bryn halted him. He waited until she was near enough next to him and then he began walking again.

Vlad checked his watch, they were running late. They had told him that they would be there promptly at 5 o'clock and it was now half past. Vlad was getting irritated and worried, he stood up and wondered down to the great hall, in hope that maybe he would meet them there.

The only person he found in the great hall was his father. He was seemingly annoyed about something as he was pacing around the room, holding a piece of paper. Vlad quietly entered the room and tried tiptoeing over to the door. The count, on one of his walks back towards the throne, spotted his son and paused, breaking his pace he moved towards Vlad.

"Arh Vlad, just the person I needed to see… your mother's organising a party for your sixteenth birthday, apparently she wants it to be held in the afternoon, before your transformation. It's going against all traditions and I for one don't agree." The count told him. The piece of paper was on the table; it was the letter that he had gotten from Magda, explaining her plans.

"That seems fine with me." Vlad said, in all fairness he didn't care what happened about the party, he was dreading when that day came. Vlad continued to walk off but then he stopped.

"Dad, have either: seen, heard or smelt Bryn or Robin?" Vlad asked. The count took a moment to use his senses.

"No, haven't seen them, or heard them, but they are in the castle." The count replied.

Vlad thanked him, although his politeness was unappreciated by his father and walked out the door. They were in the castle that was a good start, now just to work out where they would have gone.

Bryn and Robin had been walking along the corridor for some time now, not knowing whether or not it was leading them anywhere. Bryn had grown tired of the endless walk, and Robin's curiosity had begun to subside. There was nothing but walls and torches to keep him occupied and it was failing rapidly to keep his interest.

There was a squeak. Bryn stopped. Another squeak. Robin stopped. They both listened, another squeak, it was getting closer. It was coming around the corner, Bryn held her breath, Robin took one step forwards, trying to peep round the corner without going too far away from Bryn. He heard another squeak and stepped back.

Round the corner came Zoltan, Vlad's loveable, stuffed, pet hound. Bryn and Robin breathed a sigh of relief they didn't know what they were expecting it to be but they were utterly relieved that it was Zoltan.

"Master Robin, Miss Bryn what are you doing here?" Zoltan asked, looking at them in turn.

"Gonna ask you the same question mate! You scared us half to death!" Robin replied.

"Arh, apologies, my wheels do need oiling. The master was in a bad mood and so I was forced to remove myself from his sight, hence my wandering through the corridors!" Zoltan explained.

"Zoltan, could you take us somewhere that we are familiar with please!" Bryn asked Zoltan agreed saying that he needed to get back anyway.

"Maybe you could explain why you ended up here." Zoltan suggested leading the way.

Vlad started by looking in his room, it was possible, knowing Robin as well as he did, that they could have gone straight to his room instead of waiting in the great hall. They hadn't. his room was exactly how he had left it, a sprawled mess of stuff piled in the corner and his bed hadn't been made, it was basically a bombshell but it was his and his alone.

Now he was baffled where had they gone? Robin was one to wander the castle if he could find Vlad but Bryn was the one who would stop him and tell him to wait. So if they were both here then why didn't they wait?

Zoltan led them through a shortcut which ended up in the corridor outside the great hall. Bryn was relieved to finally be somewhere she recognized, Robin was ever so slightly disappointed that his adventure had been cut short but also quite happy to be somewhere that he knew. Now they had a chance of being able to find Vlad, It couldn't be too hard as there was only a limited amount of places he could be.

"HEY VLAD!" Robin called. He hoped his voice had been loud enough to be heard wherever Vlad happened to be.

Vlad was walking down the stairs when he heard Robin's voice. He raced down the last few steps and in to the hall where as he had expected Robin and Bryn where waiting.

"I've been looking for you! Where were you?" Vlad asked.

"We got lost." Bryn told him. Vlad frowned, how they could get lost, after all those years coming to the castle, he did not know!

"Yeah I walked into the castle and I found myself in the dungeon, then I walked out, walked back in again found myself in the crypt, walked out again, walked in again found myself in some sort of corridor, walked out found Bryn walked back in, into a dark corridor and then all of a sudden the torches seemed to light themselves. So we followed them, got lost, Zoltan found us and brought us here!" Robin explained in a matter of seconds.

"Must be the castle playing up." Vlad said. Bryn and Robin looked at each other, wondering if they had heard him right.

Vlad laughed, he realized that it sounded weird to them; although to him it made perfect sense.

"The castle is taking on the habits of its occupants, aka dad." Vlad explained.

"Cool!" Robin exclaimed. For once Bryn didn't feel the need to tell him off, it was cool, if a little weird.

Vlad smiled, ruffling Zoltan's fur as he moved towards the table where the count had left the letter. Taking it in his hands he skimmed through the content.

Bryn titled her head as she followed Vlad's movements. She gathered that whatever was in the letter concerned Vlad. She was wondering if she should go over to him when he turned back towards them.

"Mum's arranged a party for my sixteenth; she wants it to be before my transformation." Vlad's voice trailed off towards the end of the sentence. Now Bryn understood why he was concerned, the fact that his sixteenth birthday was drawing ever so close and been the hot topic on his mind recently.

"Party! Are we invited?" Robin asked.

Bryn walked over to Vlad. She took hold of the letter and placed it on the table. She then slinked her arms around Vlad's waist.

"Don't worry over it, it was bound to come." Bryn whispered to him. Vlad took hold of Bryn's arms and untied them, keeping hold of her hands.

"I don't want it to happen; I want to stay like this, with you." Vlad told her.

"I know."

Robin sauntered up to his best friends, Vlad hadn't given him an answer and they seemed to be ignoring him. So he was just going to make sure he was still visible to them.

"Hey, Vlad, you gonna answer me?" Robin asked annoyed. He hated the fact that Vlad would start ignoring him when Bryn was focusing completely on Vlad and Vlad alone. It felt as though they were pushing him out at times, he hated those moments, these moments like now.

"I thought that was obvious. Of course you're invited! You just need to be wary of any vampires." Vlad said turning to Robin. Robin was beaming, the thought of being at a party full of vampires excited him. Vlad was concerned for the safety of Robin; he was worried that he was going to get himself in trouble and one time Vlad wouldn't be there to get him out of it.

"Robin promise you won't run off, in the party, stay where I can see you, that goes for you too Bryn." Vlad told them.

"What is it with everyone telling me not to run off today? I'm not three!" Robin exclaimed. That had been the third time in the day he had been warned not to run off (the first one had been his mother that morning telling him not to go any further then the castle and not to run off because she needed him back at 5:00 for dinner).

"Sorry Robin, but you do act like it sometimes!" Vlad backed up his point. Bryn smiled in agreement. Robin frowned, he knew that they were right but he didn't like being told it.

"Come on lets go upstairs, I think dad's roaming the castle in a bad mood so we better keep outa his way." Vlad told them.

"Yeah Zoltan told us." Bryn said following Vlad as he was walking out the room.

When Vlad almost reached the doorway, he raised his hand and clicked his fingers. The door behind him (the one Robin, Bryn and Zoltan had come out from) automatically shut itself. Robin stared after it, wide eye in surprise. Bryn glanced back, then she glanced back at Vlad, there was something about the way Vlad had done that, that made Bryn feel funny inside.

They followed Vlad up the stairs. Robin had so very nearly run into the wall at the amazement of the door shutting on Vlad's clicking command but he had noticed in just enough time to dodge the centuries old wall that had stood in the same place for as long as the count had been 'existing'.

Robin and Bryn sat on Vlad's bed, Vlad was pacing up and down in front of them, making Bryn feel uneasy.

"Look, I've got an idea, to protect you from any vampire that fancies a bite…" Vlad opened the wardrobe and brought out a bag. Robin jumped up, eagerly, aiming for the bag.

"What's in the bag?" Robin asked, snatching the bag from Vlad's hand. He peeked into the bag and frowned.

"Why?" Robin asked Vlad.

Bryn stood up wanting to know what was in the bag too. She took the bag from Robin, who gladly let go, and looked inside. There were two garlic bulbs inside the plain plastic bag.

"Yeah what's with the garlic?" Bryn backed Robin up. Vlad took the bag from Bryn and sighed.

"It's for you two to eat before you come to the party." Vlad told them. Bryn and Robin exchanged glances.

"But I've eaten garlic before and the count didn't notice." Bryn complained. Vlad thought for a moment before he answered.

"But he hasn't tried to bite you on the days that you've eaten garlic, has he?" Vlad said backing his point up.

"No that's true." Bryn replied knowing that Vlad had now won.

"I'm not eating garlic!" Robin exclaimed loudly.

"Robin, please can we just try it, please?" Vlad pleaded with his friends.

"Well I suppose we could try it." Robin gave in, Bryn having already sided with Vlad.

"Good, thank-you." Vlad sighed, handing the bag back to Bryn who placed it on the bed so they wouldn't forget when they had to go home. Vlad moved towards the door remembering something that his father had told him to do before the day was out, something to do with the transformation ceremony. An object that they had once searched the house for; the sword of Dracula. The heir of Dracula, prior to his transformation, was traditional supposed to retrieve the sword and place it in the correct position ready for its use in the ceremony to officially dub him the true heir of the family.

Vlad told Robin and Bryn where he was going and they agreed to join him. So together they made their way down the stairs, through the great hall and down the corridor leading to the stairs that led to the crypt. Vlad descended the stairs first, shortly followed by Bryn and rounded off by Robin.

The crypt was very dark even though it was broad daylight outside and so Vlad found himself lighting the candle nearest to him with his powers, that he was still unfamiliar with and often forgot that he could do some of them.

With some light shedding into the room, Vlad was able to pick his way through the room to where he believed the sword was kept but he didn't get very far before his way was blocked by his apparating sister. Vlad rolled his eyes, all he needed right now was his annoying sister to be interrupting him just when he had thought everything was in order and under control.

"Oh it's the Breather clan is it?" Ingrid mocked. Vlad ignored her and carried on walking, glad that she hadn't apparated directly in front of where he was headed. He managed to slipped by her and continue without looking the slight bit interested; although all his senses were on full alert in case Ingrid planned to do anything drastic.

Robin tried to follow Vlad but Ingrid blocked his way, hissing at both him and Bryn. They took several steps back and let Ingrid follow Vlad instead. They were both worried about what Ingrid could do to them if they didn't do what she wanted them to.

Vlad took the sword gently out of its case; he was aware that Ingrid was behind him but he'd rather know that she was behind him then be worrying on where she was compared to where Robin and Bryn were.

"Looking forward to your big day?" Ingrid teased. She knew he wouldn't be looking forward to it; in fact it was most certainly going to be the opposite. Vlad rolled his eyes, determined that he was not going to let himself get into one of Ingrid's tricks to get him angry.

Vlad swung the sword dangerously in Ingrid's direction. He had no intention of trying to hurt her, just to scare her off. His plan worked and Ingrid backed off and allowed Vlad to go passed her. She figured that her brother with a sword was a deadly combination.

Vlad ushered Robin and Bryn ahead of him up the stairs. He felt comfortable knowing that that Ingrid was behind him and not anywhere near his friends. They reached the top of the stairs and as Robin and Bryn paused to wait for Vlad, Ingrid apparated annoyed that Vlad had paid no attention to her, leaving the three friends alone, just as Vlad hoped.

Grinning Vlad led them into a different room, one that neither Robin nor Bryn had seen before. It was the ceremonial room. A room seldom used expect for anointing and claiming the heir to the Dracula throne and sending off the poor unfortunate un-dead whose existence had been cut short by a stake to the heart. To Vlad's memory there had been no such occasion that had required the use of the ceremonial room. This was to be the first.

He opened the door to the ceremonial room, it creaked and needed a lot of force to get it open but the three of them together managed to push the door open.

"Wait here." Vlad told them. Bryn was happy to oblige to Vlad's command but Robin wanted to know why.

"'cause I am the only one who's allowed to go to the main stagey thing, no one else, I've got to say a few things, put the sword in its place and then we can go." Vlad explained. Robin couldn't argue with that and so stayed with Bryn while Vlad went inside the room.

Vlad could feel the vibrations under his feet as each step he took echoed in the cold room. He could see his breath in front of him and suddenly his jumper didn't seem to be keeping him warm as it had been previously. He clutched the sword, there was a part of him that wanted to put the sword back, forget that he had to put it in the room, forget that his transformation and naming ceremony was tomorrow but he knew that would be the worst thing to do. He had to put the sword in its place, he had to act like he was excited about his sixteenth birthday otherwise his father would go crazy.

"It's just an act." He told himself. "I don't need to get to sentimental about it, I'll just say the words, put it in its place and forget about it."

Vlad had reached the stand. On it was a brown envelope with _Vladimir Dracula _written on it. Vlad picked it up and opened it; it was the words he needed to say before leaving the room:

_I, Vladimir Dracula, place this sword in its rightful place for the transformation ceremony that will happen on the morrow of this day. It will be used to pronounce me the rightful heir to the Dracula throne. I, Vladimir Dracula will become a worthy vampire and claim my title. This is the promise I shall make. _

Vlad read this through once and then taking the sword in his right hand and the paper in his left he began to make his statement.

"I, Vlad…Vladimir Dracula, place this sword in its rightful place for the transformation ceremony that will happen tomorrow… I mean… on the morrow of this day. It will be used to pronounce me the rightful heir to the Dracula throne. I, Vlad…imir Dracula will become a worthy vampire and claim my title." Vlad hesitated, his eyes reading the last line but his mouth not uttering it. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth and then stopped.

No. He couldn't say it. Even if he did he wouldn't mean it. He felt it best to leave that one line out; it would bind him to nothing and so if things did go wrong he didn't have to keep the promise because he never actually promised it.

Vlad placed the sword on the stand and slowly backed away, all the while hoping that the absence of that one line would not affect anything too catastrophically and that no one need ever know that he never uttered the line. When he reached about the middle of the room, he twizzled round and walked normally out the room.

"Done?" Robin asked, he was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed looked bored out of his brain.

"Yeah all done." Vlad told them, there was something in the way he spoke that told Bryn that Vlad wasn't convinced that it was all done. She didn't say anything, there was no need.

Vlad carried on passed his friends, walking on. Robin followed, all too happy to be finally doing something other than watching. Bryn hesitated for an only a second, she sighed, she hated seeing Vlad in such distress and wanted to do anything to make him happy and back to his usual self. She hurried to join Robin as she started to run she heard the door shut behind her. Bryn whipped her head round slightly shaken with the sound and the thought that nothing was there to close the door. Neither Vlad or Robin flinched, they just carried on walking.

They were close to opening the great hall door, when they heard voices. Flattening themselves up to the door, they could hear every word.

"Oh darling, you did get my letter didn't you? The one which I sent by owl?" it was Magda's voice. Vlad's mother had arrived early for the preparations and organising of Vlad's transformation and celebratory party, a little earlier than expected.

"Magda, Magda, do stop going on at me, of course I got you letter its right there on the table!" the count replied even without vision the three friends could tell the count was getting rather annoyed with Magda.

Vlad slumped down the door, ending in a crouched position, with his head in his hands. His dad was bad enough, having to cope with in the running up to his transformation but his mother too, now that was pushing the boundaries.

Bryn and Robin slumped down next to Vlad, they all had the same mutual feeling when it came to Magda. She was hard to cope with and very unpredictable in her ways.

"You, both need to get out the castle." Vlad said remembering how his mother had reacted to both his friends in ways he would not like to be repeated. Both Robin and Bryn where in agreement with this and so together they quickly ascended the stairs, got their things and hurried back down the stairs ready for the next problem of getting out without being seen because of course the only way out from where they stood was through the great hall and into the hallway.

"So how we going to do this without letting Magda see us?" Bryn asked Vlad, hoping that considering it was his castle that they were in he would know of another way out but alas he had never needed to get out the castle via a different route as he had the ability of apparition and the ability to be effectively silent while moving, besides the count was rarely in the great hall when he need to get out anyway.

"What about the way which Zoltan took us?" Robin proposed an idea. Bryn and Vlad stared at him because for once he had actually proposed an idea that could work of course that was if they knew where Zoltan was.

"Did someone mention my name?" as if by magic, who should come round the corner but Zoltan himself.

"Zoltan! Ok right can you take Bryn and Robin back through the secret passageway that you brought them through? That is if you can get back that way." Vlad said.

"Yes master Vlad. Of course you get can get out that way it's a secret passageway isn't it, which generally suggests that it leads out the castle. I thought you would have known that Master Vlad, maybe not as I don't believe the count knows about it." Zoltan agreed in his own informative way.

"If you would care to follow me…" Zoltan said, turning himself round and heading off down the corridor. The three friends followed Vlad's pet to a door, disguised within the wall. Zoltan halted, letting them catch up.

"Would one of care to open the door?" Zoltan asked politely.

"I thought you went into the secret corridor quite a lot." Robin stated.

"That I do Master Robin." Zoltan answered honestly.

"Then explain how you usually open the door without us." Robin said.

"Arh I do not use this entrance, I use the entrance in the library which is more suited to my needs." Zoltan informed Robin.

"Wait so there are more entrances to this secret corridor?" Vlad said not believing that he hadn't known about this before.

Meanwhile while the boys where talking to Zoltan, Bryn pushed open the door, for some reason it felt heavier then when they had used it earlier on.

"Why of course there is, you don't think that someone would build a secret passageway if there was only one entrance in and out?" Zoltan said disregarding the comment and leading on through the doorway.

"Thank-you Miss Bryn." Zoltan acknowledged Bryn's efforts to hurry them along. Bryn smiled it was nice to be thanked for doing something that would otherwise have gone ignored.

The corridor was blowing a cold air on them as they walked through into it. Vlad shut the door behind them and they found themselves in pretty much darkness. Robin grabbed hold of Vlad, the nearest person to him, he hadn't been ready for the dark and it frightened him.

It didn't take long before the place was illuminated by the torches which played the same act they had done earlier on in the day. Glad of the light and not caring about how it got there, they didn't question how it came that the torches lit themselves.

With Zoltan leading the way they continued on without saying a word. He led them through the different corridors which to the three of them seemed like the same corridor repeated over and over again. If they had not been following Zoltan, who they hoped knew the way very well, then they would have said that they were lost.

It was when all three friends were thinking the same thing: 'we're lost, I think we ought to go back', when they finally came to door. it was an old wooden door, which looked as though it hadn't be touched in centuries but they were glad they had finally found it.

Vlad cleared away the cobwebs and some of the ivy that had crept through the gaps in the wood structure and Robin tried the handle. It didn't move on the first attempt but with a little force it eventually gave way, almost making Robin fall but lucky the door stuck on the built up gravel that had accumulated outside the door.

Filing out of the just wide enough gap, they were dazzled by the brightness of the sunlight.

"Well that was interesting." Bryn commented and they burst out laughing. Only to be stopped by Zoltan coughing.

"Master Vlad I don't think it wise to be dawdling around here too long." Zoltan hinted.

Vlad looked at his two friends and as they adjusted themselves, they looked back at him.

"You could come with us." Bryn suggested, she almost wanted to insist that he came with them, to get out the castle and just for a while not worry and have a good laugh with them.

Vlad hesitated, it was a tempting offer and he was about to accept it when he remembered that it wasn't just one parent (whom was easy to get around) but both and to run off now would ruin plans for later. It was best to keep both parents happy at least for now.

"No, I'd like to but now Mum's here I'm gonna have to keep one of them for killing the other!" Vlad said making light of the matter. Bryn looked disappointed but she smiled anyway.

"See you around mate!" Robin said, turning to go.

"Be careful, Vlad." Bryn told him, planting a kiss on his cheek before leaving to catch up with Robin.

Vlad paused for a moment watching them disappear into the distance. He was glad to have friends like them. He felt a tug on his sleeve, Zoltan had his shirt in his teeth. Talking the hint, Vlad stepped back into the corridor and shut the door.

_Finished it then? Well I would hit the review button because I'm sure you wouldn't want me not to put the next chapter up… and if I get a lot of reviews this time then I might be persuaded to add an epilogue._


	22. Transformation

Right the last chapter, I packed everything that I have had in my head since beginning this story in this chapter and found that there were 17 pages of it. Oh well I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 22**

"_Vladimir Dracula, we meet again." _

_Vlad looked desperately around trying to find the person who fitted the voice. Everything around him was quiet and normal, there were significant shadows but then the sun was shining brightly through the window. _

"_My dear boy do you not recognise you own great-great-great grandfather!" the owner of the booming voice stepped neatly out of the shadows. The old man held himself very tall and proud, like the true vampire he was. _

"_Come, take a seat." Masink Horatio Dracula ordered of his great-great-great grandson. Vlad did as he was told, feeling all a little too disorientated to do anything other. _

"_Now, as you are coming up to your transformation, and you are the chosen one…" _

_Vlad opened his mouth to contradict him but Masink raised his finger and Vlad stayed silent. _

"_And I thought I would take this chance for you to ask any question you may have, a boy of your age must have a number of questions." Masink said. _

_Vlad took a long breath in wondering if he should dare to ask the question that was on his mind, he remembered the last time he had met Masink and shuddered._

"_What if I don't want to be a vampire?" Vlad asked bracing himself for the worst._

"_Don't want to be a vampire! Why boy? Who wouldn't want to be a great and powerful being?"_

_Vlad didn't react to Masink's last comment and so Masink carried on._

"_Well if a young vampire (who hasn't undergone their transformation) doesn't want to – heaven knows why- become a vampire he has no choice but to face the family mirror and hope that his vampire self will not be so bad. There is no other way Vladimir." Masink said threateningly trying to rule out any inkling of avoiding becoming a vampire from Vlad's mind._

"_But what if they never faced the mirror what would happen then?" Vlad asked._

_Masink paused and thought about it._

"_Well that's never happened with my living memory but they would still undergo transformation, but without the mirror it would be a painful one and most likely they would end up as outcasts from all the vampire society." _

_The Vlad had decided, if there was no way that he could prevent becoming a vampire then he had no choice. He knew what he had to do. _

"_You will be a great vampire Vladimir, and I hope these questions are only the result of a curious mind because it would be a great shame to waste such talent, you are young vampire with a great potential I would hate to see it go to waste." Masink praised Vlad up but Vlad needed no more persuasion in either direction, his mind was already set and nothing was going to change it now._

"_Masink Horatio Dracula, not many people get to meet their great-great-great grandfather so I shall count myself privileged to have met you and thank-you for your advice." Vlad said realizing as he said it that the words weren't something he would usually say but he sounded appropriate to say to someone who has lived centuries rather than years. _

"_It has been a pleasure my great-great-great grandson. I feel I will not see you again as when you are transformed you will no longer need my services, make your eternity a good one and send regards to your father." Masink said rising from his chair. He walked over to the shadows; he nodded to Vlad and then disappeared, vanished into thin air. _

_Vlad stood up trying to determine where his great-great-great grandfather had gone. The room was completely empty; it was just him in the room now. Vlad thought about having a look round but he felt himself being tugged away from this reality and into another. _

Vlad felt his covers being pulled away from him. He tried tugging them back to him so he could sleep a little longer but he was awoken by the growl that went with his tugging.

"Muster blad, et up!" was the dissembled mumble that came from the other end of the covers. Vlad forced his eyes open and rolled round so he could see; Zoltan had the sheets in his mouth and was tugging them off him. With one hard pull, Vlad regained his covers and Zoltan went flying backwards.

The noise woke Vlad up completely and sitting up properly he asked Zoltan if he was alright. Zoltan said that he was fine and shook himself, just as any dog would do.

"Well you got your wish Zoltan, I'm up." Vlad said getting out of bed and to a reasonable standard sort his covers out.

"Um yes, the mistress would like to see you in the great hall when you're ready." Zoltan said just remembering the reason for waking Vlad early on a Saturday morning.

"Oh right, great." Vlad muttered crossing the room to his wardrobe. He grabbed the first items of clothing that his hands got hold of and shoved it on his body. He thought it best not to leave his mum waiting.

"Oh happy birthday master Vlad!" Zoltan said as an afterthought when Vlad gave him a quick pat before leaving the room.

"Don't remind me!" Vlad called back, already out the door and a quarter of the way down the stairs.

Vlad reached the door to the great hall; his hand hesitated on the handle.

"It's my mum, for heaven sake!" Vlad reprimanded himself. He opened the door and strode confidently into the room. His mother was sat at the table, paper sprawled out in front her. She left the paper alone when she noticed Vlad walk through the room.

"Arh Vladimir! How's my birthday boy?" Magda smothered Vlad with a hug, preventing him from answering her question.

"MUM!" Vlad said pushing her away for him. He pushed too hard. Magda ended up on the floor scrabbling to get up. Vlad immediately apologized for what he had done and then helped his mother up.

"Well, I see we are going to have to learn how to control that! Now, Vladimir, don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to teach you how to control your powers when you're fully transformed tonight." Magda said dusting herself off and sitting back down on the chair.

Vlad let his mother's last sentence pass through his ears and instead concentrated on what she was now showing him.

"Now have you put the sword of Dracula in the correct place?" Magda asked, her pen poised.

"Yes." Vlad said and Magda ticked off the first line on her paper.

"Did you say the correct words?" she asked.

"Um, yes." Vlad lied. The next line was ticked off on her page.

"Good, now do you know what you're wearing tonight?" was her next question.

"Well I have an idea, Zoltan was going to lay it out for me, or to the best of his ability." Vlad said imaging Zoltan trying to open the wardrobe and was glad he left it open.

Magda ticked off the next line on her page, which on better inspection Vlad realised was a checklist with his name on the top of it.

"So do you know the order of the night's ceremony?"

"Yes." Well he was sure he would pick it up soon.

"Are you sure that…." Magda was cut short. Vlad ran his finger down the checklist and answered them all before she had a chance to say them.

"Thank-you Vlad now do you know where your father is?" Magda said a little put out that Vlad hadn't let her carry out the checklist her own way.

"No." Vlad replied walking away.

Glad he was no long under the torturing eye of his mother, Vlad left the room without really watching where he was going.

"Arh Vladimir, how are you on your big day?" the count asked halting Vlad in his step.

"Mum's in the great hall, she was going to look for you." Vlad said ignoring the question, he had enough of them already and he hadn't even had breakfast yet!

"Oh is she… well in that case…" The count turned himself round and started to walk off in the opposite direction. Vlad wanted to laugh out loud. He found it very amusing to watch how his father –the great vampire- ran at the first mention of Magda. And what was even more amusing was: as soon as the count had begun to walk away, Magda appeared in the door, titling her head as she noticed the count purposefully walking away from her.

"Oh darling, am I that bad?" Magda asked. The count froze.

Vlad slipped passed his Father, leaving his parents alone, while he went in search of breakfast.

There had been no sign of Renfield and it seemed as though most the household had already had breakfast. Vlad headed towards the kitchen. He was surprised that the kitchen was empty, not even Renfield was in there, it was empty yet it felt as though some was there.

Vlad kept his senses wary as he entered the kitchen, he got a bowl out of the cupboard and then, sliding his hand between the two units he brought up a cereal box, which he had brought for himself and had hid so that the count wouldn't find it and nobody was likely to be looking between the two units as it was only Renfield that was genuinely in the kitchen and he didn't have the initiative to even think about it, besides he would probably just eat it anyway and not stop to think about how it got there.

Vlad poured the cornflakes into the bowl and was about to put the box back when he felt someone else behind him.

"Vlad, how are we?" Vlad jumped, the cornflakes went all over the floor.

Dimitri laughed. Vlad turned towards his cousin, he wanted to throw something at him but there was only the now empty box of cornflakes to hand and that wouldn't do anything to him.

"What you gonna do? Hit me with that!" Dimitri laughed again. Vlad threw the box down, the anger showing in his eyes, and stormed out of the room.

"Vlad? Vlad!" Dimitri shouted after him, he hadn't realised he had done anything to upset him.

Dimitri sighed and used his apparition skills to follow Vlad up to his room.

"Dimitri, go away." Vlad said not even looking to see who had entered his room without using the door. It was pretty obvious who it was.

"You can't make me." Dimitri said trying to keep his tone of voice to a respectable talking voice so Vlad wouldn't get angry at him again.

"Then don't bother me." Vlad said, searching under his bed for something.

"What are you doing?" Dimitri asked curious.

"None of your business." Vlad replied, pulling a suitcase out of the dark depths of under the bed and putting on top of the bed. He opened it and walked over to the wardrobe, Dimitri stood in the way.

"Vlad what are you doing?" Dimitri demanded, slightly concerned at what the actions implied. Vlad just glared at him and pushed him out the way. He continued to the wardrobe and took out a pile of t-shirts and a pile of trousers.

"Vlad are you planning to run away? Vlad I'll have to stop you." Dimitri threatened.

Vlad stopped what he was doing and turned sharply to Dimitri.

"If you must know, I am going on a trip with my mother after my transformation, that's why I'm packing." Vlad lied. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to you." He added trying to make himself believable considering his current mood.

"Fine. I'll leave you alone to pack for your 'excursion'" Dimitri said clearly suspicious about the whole thing. He apparated out of the room and Vlad sighed with relief. Now he could continue packing without any disturbances and without someone contradicting his plans and trying to persuade him otherwise. He didn't need that right now, his mind was set, he was nervous and anxious for the day to be over.

Robin was fiddling with the coasters on the table, he was trying to make a pyramid, but soon as he got further then the second tier it would fall and then he would have to start again.

"Robin, stop doing that. Why aren't you at Vlad's, you normally are on a Saturday?" Robin's mum was walking through the room carrying a basket full of laundry. It was her habit to do a bit of housework on a Saturday, when generally most of the house where out doing something else.

"Vlad's busy with the preparations for his birthday party this afternoon, we're not allowed to come until the party." Robin replied, glaring at the fallen coasters on the table.

"Oh I see. have you wrapped Vlad's present?" Elizabeth asked him, putting the laundry basket down and opening the washing machine door.

"Yep." Robin said.

"Sorted what you wearing to the party?" Elizabeth asked pushing the pile of clothes into the washing machine.

"Yep, done everything, now I'm bored." Robin said attempting for the millionth time the pyramid. Robin felt someone behind him, and when he managed to get the last coaster on top, Chloe knocked it down.

Robin turned round and glared at his sister.

"I was doing that!" he growled. Chloe ignored that comment and continued to say what she had planned.

"Isn't it Vlad's 16th? Won't he become a… a… well you know." Chloe stumbled with the word Vampire, she was within earshot of her mother and couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Yes, he will, unless he has a miraculous idea that stops him from transforming by midnight." Robin replied.

"Are you still going to the party?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, you don't think I'm going to miss my best friend's birthday, do you?" Robin exclaimed. Chloe looked worried; she was concerned for her brother as she was the only one who knew the danger he was in by attending a party full of vampires and the only one who could worry about it.

"I hope you know what you're doing!" Chloe warned walking away from Robin and to the kitchen.

"Since you two are still here, what would you want for tea?" Elizabeth asked her children as she pushed the go button on the washing machine and it started to whirl.

Robin jumped up and scrambled over to his school bag, pulling out the garlic bulb and going over to the kitchen.

"I don't mind but as long as it has this in it." Robin said handing her the garlic. Elizabeth took the garlic and frowned at her son.

"Why? I thought you hated garlic." She said. Robin froze he hadn't thought about what he would say to his mother.

"Er, no reason, just put it in." Robin said backing away.

"OK." Elizabeth said slowly, putting the garlic on the sideboard. She had grown used to her son's weird habits and so took this new thing with little surprise.

"Right something with garlic, get the recipe book out please Chloe." Chloe did as she was asked although unlike her mother she knew exactly why Robin wanted garlic in the dinner. Her mother leafed through the recipe book and found a suitable recipe involving garlic.

Bryn was alone in the kitchen surrounded by everything needed to create a dish but not a clue how to put it all together to make the wonderful pasta dish that Lyden had said it would be. Lyden had promised to help her make the family's dinner. Yet Lyden was nowhere to be seen. Bryn vowed that she would slap him when she next saw him. She should have known better then to have trust Lyden with one of his promises.

"Mum! Where does Lyden keep his cook books?" Bryn shouted through to the living room. There was silence so Bryn walked into the living room to find her mum scanning the bookshelf evidently looking for Lyden's growing collection of cook books.

"Oh there up here!" Chrysantia said loudly thinking that Bryn was still in the kitchen.

"Do you know what one has the garlic and cheese pasta sauce in it?" Bryn asked joining her mother by the bookshelf and gazing up at the long line of books.

"Why do you want the book I thought you knew how to do it?" Chrysantia said not really thinking about who she was speaking to.

"Well the Master Chef isn't here to give me the tutorial so I guess I'm making it by myself!" Bryn said sarcastically.

"Oh, right yeah Lyden went out to his cookery course at the college, ironically!" Chrysantia told Bryn. Bryn sighed a picked a random book from the shelf and skimmed through it, finding no mention of the required dish she put it back on the shelf and took another one. This was more helpful and she was able to find the right recipe. Taking it into the kitchen and propping it up on the breadbin she read the ingredients list and checked it with the ingredients that were laid out over the work surface. Everything listed was present which was a good start. She then checked the equipment list and retrieved the relevant items from their homes. From then on it was just a matter of following the instructions carefully and without the help of her brother, Bryn made the family dinner.

She was glad that she didn't have Lyden standing over her shoulder; it was nice to have some time alone. As she stirred the pan, with nothing else to do in the way of cooking, Bryn let her thoughts take her over with the simple rotary method of her stirring.

She was worried about Vlad. She thought on how he was feeling today and whether he had found something to getting him out of transforming but Bryn thought that was highly unlikely. She wasn't particularly looking forward to the party, but she was going to support Vlad. She knew that Robin would be looking forward to the party with great excitement and wouldn't be much support for Vlad. Someone had to be a good friend to him in his hour of need and Bryn was that person.

Vlad crept down the stairs; he could hear the preparations going on and wanted to stay as far away from them as possible. He could hear his mother ordering his father around and decided it was wise to avoid his mother in the process of the day.

He noticed that his uncle and aunt had arrived and Dimitri had been kept busy by Magda, hanging up some decorations. Vlad thought it he was better off doing something productive, other than just bothering him all day.

Vlad was slightly amused when he saw Ingrid sitting on a chair reading a magazine while everyone was working around her. For once he agreed with his sister. He too didn't want anything to do with the preparations. Leaving the doorway, he started to walk off in the opposite direction planning on finding Zoltan.

"Hey, you." Vlad sighed and turned to face his sister.

"Dimitri tells me that you were packing… for what?" Ingrid asked nosily.

"Dimitri wasn't meant to tell anyone." Vlad replied trying to walk off, if he didn't tell Dimitri what it was for then he most certainly wasn't telling Ingrid.

"Not that I'm bothered or anything but I should warn you… if you are planning to run away then prepared for Dad to be furious and Mum will be very disappointed but carry on I'm not stopping you." Ingrid said apparently caring ever so slightly if her little brother were to run away.

"I'm not going to run away." Vlad said through clenched teeth.

"Shame." Ingrid said twirling round and heading back for her magazine.

Vlad changed his direction and retreated back to his room. He stared at the suitcase that was still on his bed, packed and zipped up. He wondered whether he was doing the right thing. He wondered whether he was right.

He moved the suitcase off of the bed and put it on the floor beside his wardrobe. He flopped on the bed.

"Master Vlad?" Zoltan rolled himself into the room. Vlad looked up.

"Zoltan, am I right? Am I right in what I'm going to do?" Vlad asked confusing Zoltan.

"Right? Well if you think you're right then I guess you're right." Zoltan said wisely. Zoltan was more of a tutor and not a pet as others would see him.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready Master Vlad?" Zoltan asked steering away from the topic.

Vlad didn't move, so Zoltan took the opportunity to go over to the wardrobe and pull out gently with his teeth the outfit Vlad was obliged to wear and dragged the outfit to the bed and draped it over Vlad.

Vlad pushed the clothes away from him and sat up, staring at the vampiric outfit Zoltan had put on him. He was dreading putting the outfit on.

"I've got loads of time yet." Vlad complained.

"Actually there's only about an hour or so, besides guest will be arriving soon." Zoltan replied, leaving Vlad with no option but to get changed into the outfit.

Robin was throwing the entire contents of his wardrobe onto the already cluttered carpet. Despite what he told his mother Robin didn't know what he was going to wear and had left it a little late to decide leisurely what was the best choice for a vampire's transformation party. Item after item flew out of the wardrobe until he finally stopped and held on to the last thing in his hands, a red shirt. That would do nicely.

He contemplated adorning a tie but he changed his mind when he couldn't find his favourite bat one. All he had to do then was find a clean, smart pair of trousers and then he was dressed.

Fully dressed and ready to just leave when the time came, Robin went back down the stairs. He found himself in the hands of his mother who was sorting out his collar and brushing down his hair.

"Mum!" Robin exclaimed his hands doing a doggy paddle on his mother's arm.

"Robin, I'm just making you look presentable." Elizabeth scolded him, patting him on the shoulder and moving away from him to stop the twins fighting.

Robin could just hear his mother shout "Stop it! You're 17 boys, stop acting like you're 3!" as he slipped out the room.

His plan had been to sneak out the house, without any fuss and meet Bryn by the tree like they had arranged. But he hadn't bargained on Chloe trying to stop him from going.

"Robin, do you think it's wise going to a party full of vampires, even after eating garlic, I don't see how that's going to stop them if they all gang up on you, Vlad wouldn't be able to hold off all of them." Chloe said her genuine concern for her brother's safety coming through.

"Chloe. Nothing you say is going to stop me from going so just shut it." Robin said getting rather annoyed with her now. It was nice that she was concerned but she was taking a little too far. He slung his jacket on, picked up the present and promptly went out of the door.

Bryn opened the door to her room with anticipation. Her mother had told her that she had hung up her bridesmaid dress from when her friend got married when Chrysantia had been about 20. She was sure it would fit and suit Bryn very well. She had been very secretive about the dress and hadn't told Bryn anything about the colour, style or length of it despite how much she asked.

Bryn's mouth dropped open. It was gorgeous. It was sky blue satin with thick strapped sleeves. The bodice was created so the fabric made a sewn in sash with little edges of the fabric folded up to create a wavy pattern. The skirt was medium length, fitted and with little darts at the bottom to create little panel like features running around the edge. It was hanging on the outside of her wardrobe.

Bryn carefully took it off the hanger and laid it over the bed, taking a thrill out of the smooth feel of the satin as it passed through her fingers. She got undressed as fast as she could and slipped the dress on, struggled but managed to zip it up and then took a look at herself in the mirror. It fitted her perfectly, the length was fine, it wasn't too tight or too loose, it felt magical.

Bryn walked over to her jewellery box. She knew the exact necklace that would match perfectly with the dress; she lifted the smaller box out of the jewellery box and opened the lid. The necklace glistened up at her catching the light of the bulb above her head, every time she looked at the necklace she felt the same elated feeling she had received on the day she got it.

She placed the necklace around her neck and clipped it in place. She touched it, running her finger along the neat row of bright blue stones and smiled. Now that she was ready she ventured down the stairs and poked her head round the living room door.

"Come on let's see." Chrysantia said, beckoning her daughter into the room.

"Oh Bryn you look wonderful, and it fits perfectly." Her mother told her when she walked slowly into the room.

Lyden (who had since arrived, in time for dinner but not in time to help out, much to Bryn's annoyance) looked at his sister with awe. His little sister had grown up. The young girl that he had taken to bothering was now longer the same. She was a gown lady.

Chrysantia gave Bryn her coat and told her to have a good time at the party. Bryn took the present she had neatly wrapped for Vlad the night before and found a gift bag to carry it in and said goodbye.

She left the house in the growing darkness to meet Robin at the tree before going together up to the castle.

Robin was starting to feel the cold of the September air. Although it was only the first day in September it was certainly moving into autumn. It was getting dark at six o'clock and much colder during the day.

He saw Bryn coming up the path. His mouth dropped open at the sight of her. She looked more beautiful than he could have ever imagined and more. Robin still had his mouth open when Bryn reached him.

"Hi." Bryn said shyly. Although she felt very glamorous in the dress it did feel awkward and weird being dressed up in front of her best friend.

"You look amazing." Robin said finally finding his voice.

"Shut up Robin." Bryn said, lightly hitting him on the shoulder. It was awkward enough without Robin making comments like that.

"Shall we go?" Bryn asked trying to move the situation on.

"Yeah." Robin agreed. He took Bryn's arm in his and they walked up the path towards the castle.

Dimitri had taken to answering the door, now that it was dark enough for him to be outside safely. Vlad was getting rather irritated with him; he seemed to think it was ok for him to be answering the door when he wasn't even a member of this household and besides it was his party not Dimitri's and he was concerned about Dimitri opening the door for Robin and Bryn. He wasn't entirely sure if Dimitri would actually try to bite them or not but he didn't particularly want to find out.

So when another knock came from the door, Vlad tried his hardest to reach it before Dimitri but he was further away and not as quick as Dimitri and so Dimitri inevitably got there first.

Robin was going to walk straight in and not wait for Vlad but Bryn had persuaded him that it was a bad idea to just walk into a room full of vampires without Vlad to stop them trying to bite them. So Robin had knocked on the door, something he had not needed to do for a long time. And the door was answered but not by anyone that they had seen before.

"So you must be Robin and you must be Bryn." Dimitri acknowledged Robin with a glance and then turned his attention to Bryn. He leaned closer to her and Bryn recoiled away.

"And you are?" Robin asked on behalf of them both but his enquiry was ignored. Dimitri was more interested in Bryn. He was getting closer to Bryn's neck and she was getting more and more concerned. She had been bitten once and knew how it hurt, she didn't want to experience it again, especially not as the vampire in question was much more experienced; it might mean that she wouldn't be as lucky as she had been on the last occasion.

Bryn tried to stay calm but her fear was obviously showing through for Dimitri grabbed hold of her shoulder so she wouldn't move away from him. In shock she grabbed Robin's hand.

"DIMITRI!" Vlad shouted running towards them. He grabbed hold of Dimitri's shoulders and pulled him back, away from his friends.

Dimitri hissed at Vlad. His eyes were glowing red and his fangs were protruding out of his mouth. He pushed Vlad onto the floor and immediately turned back to Bryn who, with Robin, was sneaking their way around them. They froze. Dimitri took a step towards them but wasn't suspecting the pounce he received from Vlad. Dimitri shrugged him off with no effort and Vlad rammed him into the wall, using all his strength to keep him there.

"I told you, don't even think about it!" Vlad spit into his cousin's face. Dimtiri just glared at him, no response. Not even a flinch.

"Are you listening?" Vlad shouted at him. No response. Dimitri closed his eyes and Vlad felt his hands fall into nothingness as Dimitri apparated away. Vlad's hands landed on the wall, he let his head drop and listened as his breathing came back to normal.

"Hey Vlad that was…" Robin paused he was going to say 'that was brilliant' but changed his mind at the last moment and couldn't think of anything to substitute it with.

Vlad looked up, taking his hands off the wall and moved towards his friends. He took both of Bryn's hands into his own and admired how beautiful she looked, despite her facial expression showing fear and he was touched when he spotted the necklace that he had given her for her thirteenth birthday draped around her pale neck.

Vlad led them up to his room. It was about the only place that wasn't riddled with people or, more appropriately, vampires and probably the most quite place as well.

He let Bryn sit on the bed while he brought up the chair that had previously been too crowded with clothes and bits and pieces to be used, now that he had had a little tidy up, it was clear.

"Bryn are you ok?" Vlad asked sitting down on the chair. He knew she wasn't but it seemed the best way to start.

Robin sat next to Bryn; he reached his hand out to comfort her. Bryn retracted her hand and took Vlad's instead.

"Who was that?" Bryn asked her voice quavering.

"Dimitri…"

"Your cousin?" Robin interrupted. Vlad frowned at Robin wondering how he could have possible known that Dimitri was his cousin. He expressed this thought in a question to Robin.

"You told me last time he came to visit, remember?" Robin replied. The thing was, Vlad couldn't remember mentioning his cousin to Robin any when but assuming he must have he dropped the topic.

"Anyway, did he hurt you?" Vlad asked Bryn.

"No. Just scared me, a lot." Bryn replied her voice still very quiet.

Robin put his arm around Bryn's shoulder, comforting her. Vlad looked at Robin and then saw Bryn's face. He shifted to sit on the bed next to her; he also put his arm around Bryn.

"Robin could you go and get Bryn a glass of water?" Robin looked put out but he stood up and slowly moved out the room. Vlad waited until the door was closed before saying anything else but Bryn got there first.

"What's up with Robin?"

Vlad sighed.

"He's… he's fallen in love…with you." Vlad found himself staring into Bryn's eyes as he spoke.

Bryn's eyes widen at the news. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing but could see that Vlad wasn't lying and saw no reason for him to be lying. So it was true. And when she put her mind to it she could pick out certain points within the last year or so that would suggest that Robin had tried to show his love but she had ignored it. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt, she had led him on all this time and he had tried so hard but she hadn't even had the decency to tell him she was in love with someone else.

"Don't blame yourself." Vlad said. Bryn jumped. She was certain she hadn't voiced any of her thoughts.

"Damn. Sorry my fault got to learn how to control that." Vlad reprimanded himself. Bryn looked at him waiting for an explanation.

"Oh right, yeah I can read minds. Only I can't always establish which are thoughts and which is actual talking." Vlad said making it sound like an everyday occurrence.

"This has only started recently, I hope." Bryn said thinking of all the times that she would not have liked Vlad to be reading her thoughts.

"Yeah only this week really but as I haven't been around breathers much I haven't found a way to control it yet." Vlad replied.

"So you can only read breathers minds not vampires." Bryn deduced. Vlad stood up.

"Yep, otherwise my dad would have probably locked me in my room by now, due to all my thoughts about finding some way of escaping becoming a vampire!" He said turning back to Bryn.

Bryn caught Vlad's arm, standing up so she was the same height as Vlad.

"And did you? Did you find some way of escaping of it?" Bryn asked.

Vlad averted his gaze away from her as he decided whether or not he should tell her yet. He looked at her hand that was around his arm. Then he looked up, into her eyes and decided.

He leant in and kissed Bryn. Bryn kissed him back. It told her nothing but she didn't mind. Vlad was waiting for the right time and that was fine.

Vlad wondered what he really was. As he kissed Bryn he felt no impulse to even try to bite her. Something every vampire would probably try to do if they were in his position. He should by now feel the cravings but he had had nothing. Not even a little. Throughout the week he had prepared himself for the blood cravings but he hadn't received them.

Robin paused. It just suddenly occurred to him that he was walking through a room full of vampires, with no protection, not even Vlad by his side. He started walking slower checking that no one was paying any attention to him as he dodged through the sea of bodies.

He felt a pair of eyes on him the whole time he moved across the room yet nothing happened. Robin took a peek back and caught Dimitri glaring at him. Dimitri was sitting in a chair his hands gripping tight to the arms of the chair. He looked terribly pale, even for a vampire. Clearly he hadn't had enough blood to quench his on growing thirst. His last possible meal had been rudely snatched away from him and now he could smell the pure scent of human blood as Robin walked through the room but he knew he couldn't have it.

Robin trying to ignore Dimitri's glare continued to make his way through the room and was almost at the kitchen when others started to notice him. One by one the vampires turned, following the scent, landing their eyes on Robin.

The group started to crowd around Robin. Robin recoiled back trying to get as far away from the fangs as possible.

"Arh Robin! I wondered when you'd arrived. Where's Vlad?" The Count asked, interrupting the awkward situation. For once Robin was glad to see the Count. For once it meant safety rather than danger. Not realizing it but the Count had just saved Robin's life.

"Upstairs, I'm just getting… him a drink of water." Robin said thinking twice about mentioning Bryn to the count.

"He should be drinking blood not that thin clear stuff." The count remarked. The vampires began shrinking back now unsure if their senses where tricking them because surely the Count wouldn't mix with _breathers. _

"I know, I keep telling him that but he doesn't listen." Robin said keeping with the new identity that the Count had given him.

"Well tell him that as soon as he comes down we will start the party." The count said leaving Robin to stop Magda from ruining the centuries old curtains.

Robin agreed to thin air and then continued into the kitchen to retrieve that glass of water he had been originally aiming to get.

Zoltan knocked on Vlad's door using his nose and when no answer came he head-butted the door open. He wheeled himself into the room, his wheels no longer squeaking, so he was not heard by either Bryn or Vlad.

"Uh hum?" Zoltan grunted covering his eyes with his ears when he saw that they were kissing. Vlad stopped; he looked over to Zoltan and laughed. Bryn turned to see what he was laughing at and then joined in. Zoltan was quite a picture with his ears covering his eyes, it looked cute and weird at the same time.

"Sorry Master Vlad, may I enquire to what you are laughing at?" Zoltan said taking away one ear from one eye.

"Oh Zoltan, you do amuse me!" Vlad exclaimed. Zoltan didn't quite understand what Vlad was getting at but continued as if he did.

"The party is about to start, and the person it is all for isn't there." Zoltan said taking it for granted that Vlad would understand him.

Vlad rolled his eyes and took Bryn's hand. They left Zoltan alone in the room, to catch some of that well deserved sleep he was owed.

The party had been going on for about an hour. Vlad had made sure that he could see both Robin and Bryn at all times and they in turn had made sure that Vlad was in their view at all times, just in case any vampire even tried to go near them.

A slow song had come on and Vlad turned to Bryn, who graciously accepted his invitation to take this dance. They walked onto the dance floor, following the other vampires and took up their positions. Out of the corner of his eye, Vlad noticed Robin quietly in the corner watching them enviously. Unfortunately there were no other girls who weren't interested in feasting on him that he could dance with and so Vlad and Robin had been alternating dancing with Bryn.

Spinning Bryn out and then back in, Vlad knew this was the best time to say it.

"Bryn, I'm going to run away." Vlad whispered into her ear.

"Run away?" Bryn echoed. She almost stopped moving but she quickly moved her foot out of the way as another waltzing couple went by.

Vlad nodded.

"Um…Bryn… would you…" Vlad stuttered.

"Go with you? Yes." Bryn finished for him. "But we have to tell Robin, we can't leave him out."

"Right." Vlad agreed pulling her closer towards him, so she could lay her on his shoulder as they danced.

"I love you" he whispered in her ear. Bryn smiled and hugged Vlad tighter.

The music stopped and the partners gave each other a bow or a curtsey accordingly and walked graciously off the dance floor.

Bryn was pulling Vlad towards Robin.

Robin had taken a drink off the banquet table and took a sip from it and immediately spat it back out, gaging as he realized what it was, what he thought was cherryade turned out to be human blood. But then what else would you expect from a vampire's coming of age party! As he moved away from the table to hide the fact that he didn't drink it, he found Vlad and Bryn in his way.

"Vlad's got something to say." Bryn announced pulling Vlad closer. Robin looked at Vlad; he seemed unwilling to say it.

"Yeah. Look I'm planning to run away and I want you and Bryn to come with me." Vlad said in a hushed voice.

"Gee mate why didn't you think of that earlier! Although then I wouldn't be allowed to come in the castle, I thought you had some brilliant plan." Robin stopped himself before he sounded too disappointed. "Alright when ya going?" Robin asked changing his tone of voice.

Vlad smiled at Robin. "So you're coming then. Wasn't sure by that last comment!" he joked.

"Course I am. You're my best friend, why wouldn't I?" Robin exclaimed.

"Because I'll still turn into a vampire no matter what, but this way I won't become a full proper vampire as my reflection stays here in the castle and I'll be transforming outside of it. It'll be painful but worth it." Vlad explained.

Bryn stared at Vlad, wide-eyed. She had not realized that he would still have to transform, she had assumed that by running away he had found a way to stop the transformation. She was a little shocked to find that Vlad was prepared to go through a more painful process then the original to avoid becoming a complete vampire. Bryn had never realized the extent of how much this meant to him.

Robin was also a little shocked, although he figured Vlad would do almost anything to get out of proper transformation.

"Anyway when did you want to go?" Robin re-asked.

"As soon as possible." Vlad replied.

"Would now suffice?" Robin asked proud of himself for using a new word that he learnt only the day before.

"Yes that was what I was getting at." Vlad said frowning at Robin who was looking very smug with himself for some reason that Vlad didn't quite get.

"Ok but me and Robin need to pack something before we run away." Bryn reminded him.

Taking this into account Vlad proposed that they should meet at the school gates in about 10 minutes time. That would give Bryn and Robin enough time to run home, pack their belongings in a bag and get changed before they escaped.

Vlad escorted Robin and Bryn out of the castle. He couldn't risk letting them go alone and besides he gave him an excuse to leave the party for a while.

When Robin and Bryn were gone, Vlad rushed up the stairs, into his room.

The suitcase was on the bed as he left it. Vlad went to the wardrobe, opened it and sighed.

The door closed and a gust of wind whistled around his shoulders.

"I can't let you do this Vlad." A voice came from behind him.

"Dimitri you can't tell me what to do." Vlad stated, turning round to face his cousin.

"It'll ruin the family name." Dimitri added.

"And? Dimitri I don't care about ruining the family name, don't you get it? I'm running away to get away from being in this family!" Vlad yelled at his cousin, who took a step back, amazed that his little cousin could muster up enough anger to throw all of it at him like that in one go.

Vlad turned back to the wardrobe, grabbed the only outfit that was left that he would be comfortable wearing and throw it on the bed. He took of his jacket and flung it back in the wardrobe.

"Dimitri go away." Vlad hissed.

"Or what?" Dimitri challenged.

"Or I'll stake you!" Vlad threatened. Dimitri laughed. Vlad noticed that a corner of his bed was split and it was just a matter of time before it would come off completely. He grabbed the end that was falling off and yanked it, it ripped easily in his hand and Vlad now held a splinter of wood in his hand.

"Yeah, sure." Dimitri snorted.

Vlad whipped his body round, bearing the wooden splint in front of him.

"Don't think I wouldn't." Vlad said using his skill of speed he quickly ended up directly in front of Dimitri, pointing the splint at his chest.

Dimitri was clearly surprised but was trying his best to hold it in.

"Come on, Vlad we're family." Dimitri stuttered. The determination and rage showed through Vlad's hazelnut brown eyes, Letting Dimitri know that he was being serious.

Keeping his eye on the wooden splint, Dimitri tried to take a step backwards but found that stepped into a wall. With nowhere else to go, Dimitri did the skill that only a vampire could use as an ultimate escape route, he apparated.

"Coward." Vlad muttered. He gripped the splint and felt his hand burning; dropping it he examined his hand, it had a red sore patch where he had been holding onto the splint.

Vampires were allergic to wood.

If he didn't get out of the castle soon he would be compelled to the blood mirror and never be able to escape his fate.

With that clear in his head, he quickly undressed and started to put on the clothes that he had laid on his bed.

Bryn opened the door. She had her own key as Lyden had taken their parents out to dinner, assuming that Bryn would be at Vlad's party for the majority of the time.

Bryn put the key on the sideboard and moving quietly to match the silence that was all around her, she walked upstairs. Entered her room and stopped. She looked around her room, registering everything in sight. She wanted to be able to remember everything. Her eyes landed on her going-away bag and she glided towards it and picked it up.

She threw in as many clothes as she could and added a few personal items into the bag and then looked to the rest of her clothes for something sensible for running away in. she found a jumper and a pair of trousers that seemed to fit the bill and quickly changed into them laying her dress neatly on her bed. She left the necklace on.

Picking up the bag Bryn asked herself whether this was a good idea for about the millionth time of asking. Then she reminded herself that she had promised them that she would go and Vlad needed her.

So she walked back down the stairs. She found a piece of paper and a pen and started to scribble a note to her parents.

_Dear mum and dad,_

_Don't look for me. I've gone away for a while. I'll be fine. I'll be with Vlad and Robin. This is nothing to do with either of you just something I have to do._

_Love Bryn._

Folding the letter, she placed it on the table where it could be clearly seen and picked up her going-away bag.

She sauntered through into the corridor picked up her key and opened the door. Taking one last look at her home, Bryn sighed, closed the door and locked it. She put the key in her pocket and walked away. Leaving her home, her family behind.

Robin sneaked through the door, closing it so it made no sound, and crept through to the living room, luckily nobody was in sight. He knew that his whole family were in, somewhere around the house and he was going to have to tread very carefully in order not to be detected.

Running through the living room on tiptoes, Robin quickly bounded up the stairs. He was undetected so far. Moving hastily along the corridor, he got into his room without seeing one member of his family.

He found his school rucksack and emptied it of his school stuff and started to search his room for clean clothes to stuff into the rucksack. When the bag was reasonably full, Robin looked for anything else he would need to put into the rucksack. Last of all he scanned his shelf and picked up one ornament to put in his bag, he chose his birthday present he had gotten from Vlad and place it in between some of his shirts. Zipping up the rucksack and slinging it on his back, he attempted to sneak out of the house for the last and final time of doing so.

Getting out of his room was no problem, going along the corridor was fine, even the stairs worked out alright-he missed the squeaky step- but it was just a matter of whether there was anyone in the living room which would determine how successful he had been.

Peering around the door, Robin found luck was with him. He darted through the living room, thinking it was only a matter of seconds until he was out the door and gone.

"Robin, where are you going?" Robin froze mid step.

"Well? You're not going to school, and I thought you were at Vlad's party or did you have to run off because he's a vampire now?" Chloe came and stood in front of Robin. Her arms folded looking suspiciously at her brother.

"He doesn't change until midnight." Robin said thinking himself clever to completely miss out all the other parts of the question and only answer the one he could without giving the game away.

"So what are you doing here?" was Chloe's next question. Robin avoided Chloe's eyes and shifted uneasily from his mid-step position.

"What's in the bag?" Chloe tried a different question.

"um…clothes." Robin replied realizing that he couldn't rightly get out of telling her now.

"You're planning to runaway aren't you?" Chloe accused.

"No!" Robin exclaimed trying to defend himself. Chloe gave him a frown and her eyes penetrating through his lie.

"Yes." Robin admitted.

"Mum is going to go mad." Chloe remarked.

"Yeah well she's just going to have to live with it." Robin said pushing passed Chloe, purposely hitting her with his bag.

"Robin! Don't you walk out that door…" Chloe warned.

"Or what Chloe? You can't stop me!" Robin laughed pushing the door open. Freedom here he came!

Robin slammed the door in his sister's face.

Robin walked slowly through the darkness. It was just light enough for him to be able to see where he was going but little else.

Up ahead of him he could see a silhouette of someone, he held back apprehensive of whom it could be. At this time at night it could have been anyone and he didn't want to end up confronting a stranger.

He followed behind the stranger waiting for them to turn off and go a different way so he could speed up and reach the school gate before Vlad and Bryn went without him. But that didn't happen. The stranger seemed to be going the same way as Robin.

Thinking it weird that someone wanted to go to the school this late he began to wonder if the stranger was in fact no stranger at all. Picking up his speed ever so slightly he got close enough to determine the identity of the stranger.

"Bryn!" Bryn stopped; she looked round through the darkness trying to work out who had said her name. She couldn't see a thing, nothing. Someone could be standing right behind her and she wouldn't have been able to see them, especially if they were wearing black clothing.

Bryn felt two hands slam on her shoulders, her heart skipped a beat. Her breathing began to rapidly increasing.

"Hey!" a familiar voice came.

"ROBIN!" Bryn exclaimed. "Don't ever do that again!"

Robin grinned, even though through the blackness it was unrecognizable.

"Well now that you're here, shall we walk together?" Bryn said

"Yeah, maybe together we can see our way through!" Robin joked, linking his arm with Bryn's.

It wasn't very far until they reached the school gate where Vlad was already waiting for them.

He had placed himself under the lamp so Bryn and Robin would be able to see him clearly. He heard them before he saw them. He picked up his suitcase and got ready to greet them.

"Are you ready then?" Vlad greeted them.

"Yeah, let's go!" Robin said eagerly.

"As ready as I'm going to be." Bryn said, pushing her bag further up her arm.

"What's the plan then?" Robin asked assuming this had already been thought of prior to this meeting although Vlad had only come up with the plan about five minutes ago as he walked down the road.

"I thought we'd head out of the town, into the woods, quickly before it gets to midnight and I have to transform." Vlad explained.

"Ok then we best be going." Bryn suggested looking at her watch and seeing that they didn't have very long to go until the clock struck midnight.

Bryn took Vlad's hand and there was a flash when Bryn caught the frightened look in his eyes and then it was gone, replaced by his usual sparkle.

Robin linked his arm with Bryn's and together the three friends walked down the road. They were leaving Stokely forever, deserting their families, for the sake of their friendship.

The party was still in full swing even though the person the party was for had left.

The count stopped the music and made a thundering clap to get the attention of the crowd who had grown irritated by the abrupt ending of the music.

"Now that I have your undivided attention… I propose that we head down to the blood mirror for it is almost midnight but first Vladimir…" the count looked expectantly around the room, looking for his son.

"Vladimir…" the count repeated.

"Oh save your breath Dracula." all eyes turned to the back of the room. Dimitri was leaning on the wall looking at the count.

"Vlad's gone." A gasp spread through the crowd. Dimitri started walking towards the count.

"Yes you heard me right, gone, runaway, whatever you want to call it." Dimitri scowled at the crowd they all recalled back from him as he passed them.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" the count demanded to know from his nephew.

"Your precious son has done a runner." Dimitri explained.

"No he wouldn't…" The count started.

"Actually…" Ingrid pushed her way through so she was in line with her father. "He would."

The count looked anxiously at Ingrid he was about to ignore her comment as usual when Magda joined her.

"Darling I did warn you, but you didn't listen." The count tried turned his frown into a guilty look, he remembered what she had said and it began to sink in: he had failed his son. He hadn't listened to Magda's warnings and now Vlad had left, his only son and heir gone.

The count sat down in his throne, his eyes glazed over and the room seemed to spin.

Magda was ushering the guests out of the castle leaving just the family members within the room.

Dimitri's father walked over to his brother, there were no words of comfort in his mind but he thought should go and see if there was anything he could do.

"Count?" no answer.

"Brother?" he tried.

"Why my son, why not yours?" The count said rudely.

"Vladimir was never a normal child, in fact he's hardly vampire material maybe it's better for you to be rid of him." the count looked at his little brother.

"Yes…yes I think you're right. He would have been a burden. I'm better off without him." the count said looking away from him in thought.

"I leave you to contemplate." The count's little brother left him in peace and re-joined his immediate family.

The count glanced to his side, seeing that his brother had gone he took the opportunity to dash out of the room and apparate up to the tower.

No way was he going to leave his only son, he was going to find him and bring him back.

Pulling open the window, letting the moonlight flood the room, standing on the window ledge the count transformed into his familiar of a bat and flew out the window and on into the sky. His hunting instincts came instantly into play but for once his target was not food.

_I'm thinking of writing an epilogue but that depends on how many reviews I get!_


	23. epilogue

_Here it is the last ever update of this story._

**Epilogue **

Elizabeth had gone straight over to Chrysantia when she had found out that her son had run away. She was in tears, and Chrysantia had to calm her down with a cup of tea. She showed her the letter that Bryn had left her, and Elizabeth was comforted slightly to know that the three friends were together and not on their own, but that still didn't compensate for losing him.

Chrysantia was still coming to grips with losing Bryn. It had come as a shock to find the letter left on the table when they got back from their meal, and she couldn't quite believe her eyes but it was there as plain as day. Her daughter had run away.

Clea had come down to be of comfort to her parents, although she herself was taken aback with her little sister's actions. Lyden had been stewing it over in his mind, ever since Bryn had gone. For some reason it didn't seem like something Bryn would do- not his quiet, shy sister who quiet often acted younger than her real age.

The two fathers where taking the news of their children's disappearance in their stride; they had been busy consoling their wives to really feel the pain of losing their children, but as soon as it died down and their wives had begun to take it all in, it would hit them, and in their own ways they would deal with it.

As their parents mourned their loss, they could never begin to imagine what they were doing right at that moment deep in the woods.

Vlad was crouched on the floor; he was hugging himself trying to stop himself from shivering. Bryn had her arm around his shoulders offering words of comfort but feeling rather helpless. Robin had sacrificed his jacket in the effort to keep his best friend warm, and he too felt helpless. All they could do was watch as their friend cried out in pain and fell onto his side. There were several painstaking minutes when Vlad couldn't stop shaking, and then he stopped.

Bryn and Robin looked at each other. They dashed to Vlad's side and tried to revive him, but he didn't move. He lay as if dead on the leaves and it wasn't as if anyone could check that he was alive; he was a vampire, he was un-dead. Those few minutes as Vlad lay motionless felt like hours and Robin, and Bryn were beginning to wonder if they had lost Vlad for good, when all of sudden Vlad gasped, his eyes open to reveal his scarlet pupils. He grabbed hold of Robin, the nearest thing to him, and dragged him down onto the ground. Bryn tried to prise Vlad's hands away from Robin, but Vlad was too strong. Eventually Vlad let go, the red colour leaving his eyes, and Robin rolled over onto the fresh leaves.

Bryn checked that Robin was getting up and then ran over to Vlad.

"Bryn…it hurts." Vlad whispered. Bryn, not knowing what to say, knelt down beside him and took him up in her arms and hugged him.

Robin, brushing the leaves off his trouser leg, walked over to them, but hesitated, feeling he was intruding on them. He had accepted the fact that Bryn and Vlad loved each other and was willing to support them.

"Robin, come here…" Vlad managed to muster. Robin went over obediently and knelt down to save Vlad from talking loudly.

"I'm sorry." Vlad said.

Robin gave a faint smile. He knew that the sorry wasn't just for the little incident a few seconds ago but for everything that he had brought him into.

"That's alright mate- I've enjoyed every minute of it!"

_I hope you enjoyed reading this, I enjoyed writing it ! Please give me some reviews. And if you're a fan of perhaps torchwood, primeval or pirates of the Caribbean please check out my other stories which hopefully are as good as you all have been saying that this one is!_


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